VISITORS to the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill will be able to enjoy two unique exhibitions from this month.
Firstly, Red, Blue, Up, is a major new exhibition of paintings and drawings by Bexhill-based artist, Michelle Roberts, on the First-floor gallery.
This solo exhibition is programmed in collaboration with award-winning arts charity Outside In, following the artist winning first prize in its national open exhibition, Humanity, in 2023, and Project Art Works, a neurodiverse collective of artists and activists based in Hastings, of which Roberts is a member. Red, Blue, Up follows Roberts’ participation in DLWP’s 2015 group exhibition, In the Realm of Others.
Roberts has drawn and painted throughout her life. As a young girl, she accompanied her grandfather, a watercolour painter who often worked outdoors, and has since maintained a drive to make art.
The approach to painting and drawing that she has refined over the years is ambitious in terms of scale, conception and realisation.
Her subjects arise from the realm of lived experience, such as a holiday, a visit to the ‘Dinosaur World’ exhibition, or the thrill of an Air Show, whilst other works celebrate events such as the Diamond Jubilee, Remembrance Day, or films that she has seen.
Roberts has developed a personal and meticulous approach to making. Photographs serve as a reference, offering hints and prompts of past experiences, from which she works methodically across each work, section by section, to create compositions that come to life through vivid colour.
Patricia Finnegan, Artist Development Lead said: “Working alongside Michelle at Project Art Works for nearly a decade has been an inspiration. Her intricate drawings and instinctive colour choices reveal layers of discovery, making each glance a journey into joy and vibrancy.
“I feel very privileged to be supporting Michelle towards her exhibition, when her powerful illustrations will fill a gallery, inviting all to experience them. Thank you to the teams at Outside In and the De La Warr Pavilion for the opportunity.”
Also starting this month is another exhibition entitled ‘Ssh Ow’, the first major solo exhibition in a UK public gallery in a decade by Dublin-based artist Jaki Irvine (b. 1966, Dublin).
Irvine uses video, installation, photography, music composition and writing to explore the complex ways we imagine ourselves and the world around us, a process which, for Irvine, has both philosophical and political implications.
Overheard conversations and everyday incidents, casually observed, often form the starting point for Irvine’s work. She weaves these real events into fictions, making films and videos that reflect on the fragmented, mysterious and often absurd nature of the human condition.
Presented in the Ground floor gallery is Ack Ro’, an immersive thirteen-channel video installation that surrounds viewers with a captivating interplay of sound, imagery, and light. Intricate layers of sound and visuals create an atmosphere that is both disorienting and melodic.
