Exclusive pictures of April's First Wednesdays

I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who came to April's First Wednesdays and to the venues who hosted one-off events and exhibitions.  

Silvia Nayla, the design store geared up for summer with their Carnival party, serving complimentary caipirinha's amongst brazilian dancers...that certainly spiced up the week!  

Admiring the glass work of Ludvig Lofgren at Vessel Gallery

The private view "Tales of the Unexpected: New Glass works by Ludvig Lofgren" at Vessel Gallery was a storming success and was accompanied by the artist himself.  Down Portobello way, The Muse 269 held screenings of old classic movies while Graffik Gallery welcomed all, with drinks, music and urban art.  

We look forward to the launch of the new commercial model of First Wednesdays in partnership with Matchbox magazine on May 4th!

To view pictures of April's First Wednesdays click below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/firstwednesdays/sets/72157626324074177/

FIRST WEDNESDAYS February

PIG BOOK

One of the artists in our currrent show "Going Dutch" Christien Meindertsma has compiled a book entitled "Pig". We have copies on sale at the moment. It is a fascinating insight into which parts of a pig are used in hundreds of products we use in daily life. Christien became interested in where the materials came from for her work and began research which lead to the book. Come and have a browse and of course look at her beautiful woven poufs and the other work on display ! All at flow

Art Work Space at The Hempel Hotel

Please join us for the upcoming First Wednesday on 2nd Feb. 2011, 6 - 9pm. The Hempel Hotel will also offer 25% off Food and Beverage on the evening for any FW visitors.

Art Work Space has recently launched its 2011 exhibition programme with ‘Descent of Life’, the debut solo exhibition by Katie Brookes. 

Recently graduated from the renowned Camberwell College of Arts, Brookes is already creating excitement in the art world, attracting considerable interest in her elaborate and complex work. Here she presents a new series of vast pen and ink drawings, which take their inspiration from Flemish Renaissance artists, notably Pieter Brueghel.

The drawings are a response to seemingly small details and stories which have caught the attention of the artist. Brookes takes these details and creates work that contains expansive meaning and symbolism. Within the landscape of the images there are multiple narratives that compose a scatterlogical discourse on the meanings of existentialism. 

Brookes’ composition is both confident and intricate - playfully distorted familiar themes such as the eroticized subject matters of life, death, heaven and hell, point to a mythological impression – and is reinforced by her strong line and pen work. Her imagery always promises the chance of a new and subversive discovery, as if navigating oneself through a labyrinth.  The narratives and characters at the heart of the work create an overwhelming sense of action and its themes are often on the verge of the primal and grotesque. However, Brookes manages to imbue each piece with humour and one can sense a note of comedic irony through the underlying absurdity.

In ‘Descent of Life’ the essential ideas that have occupied artists throughout history are explored and manipulated to produce a series full of contrast and intrigue. From the sheer scale of the drawings to the minute detail within them, from the morbid to the joyous, this body of work is delightfully provocative and at the same time visually absorbing. 

Katie Brookes Descent of Life
January 19th — February 18th 2011 

ART WORK SPACE

• Lower Ground Floor, The Hempel Hotel,
• 31—35 Craven Hill Gardens,
• London W2 3EA
• 
  General Opening Hours:
  Mon - Fri 10.30am—7.30pm 
  Saturday 3.30pm—7.30pm 
  Sunday 1.30pm—7.30pm 
  Contact: naomi@artworkspace.co.uk / 07515 797877
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Layers of Meaning Exhibition - rrgallery

Opening this evening at rrgallery, st peters church, kensington park road, london W11 a new exhibition of paintings, sculpture and design by two grauates of Central Saint Martins. Join us for a drink to ward off those January blues from 6.30 - 9pm this evening.

Join us on facebook at rrgallery for more info.

supperclub

Restaurant & After Dinner Party venue. February 2nd: Complimentary admission with the February First Wednesdays flyer. Music and cabaret night from 9pm till late.

A feast for all the senses

Looking for a unique dining experience in an unexpected place and are not afraid to discover the creative corners of your personality? …then knock on supperclub's door.

Freedom is the keyword at supperclub. It's a mix of great food, music, performances, art, staff and... you. An evening at supperclub has been successful when all five senses have been tickled….so to speak.

Supperclub is a restaurant and creative space which is rooted in the ideas of creative freedom and a particular atmosphere - a special place where people can let themselves go.

Have fun, eat, listen, dance and enjoy the evening. Everything is possible. Be yourself and anything can happen to you at supperclub!

12 Acklam Road

London W10 5QZ

T 0208 964 6600
london@supperclub.com

Silvia Nayla

Don't miss Silvia Nayla's 20-50% discount on everything FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY February 2nd.
Exciting new vintage collection & exhibition

Established in Notting Hill in June 2007, Silvia Nayla has been since then furnishing homes, restaurants, offices and stores with contemporary Brazilian design.

Their furniture comes from many different Brazilian regions, revealing the beauty of Brazil’s diversity. In this mixed space, high-end furniture is put side by side with artisanal products, synthetic materials are mixed with organic ones, and perfect handmade finishes brings art to high quality pieces.

Silvia Nayla believes that nature is a source of inspiration, materials and shapes. Art, technology, originality, design, cutting edge shapes, love for nature and its raw, residual and salvaged materials: those are the elements of the huge and diverse Brazil environment.

109 Westbourne Grove
London W2 4UW

T 020 7229 2262

www.silvianayla.com

The Chocolate Elephant

15% off all non-sale items on First Wednesdays February 2nd.

The Chocolate Elephant prides itself on providing a complete look from top to bottom, natural and classical clothes & accessories in beautiful soft tones.
The range of clothing and accessories includes luxurious cashmere, brushed cotton, soft velvet, linen and silk. The company supports ethical trading. Come in to see their current collection saving 15% or peruse their sale items for a bargain.

46 Ledbury Road
London W11 2AA
T 020 7221 6089
www.thechocolateelephant.com

One.Two.Five Presents

VA specialises in selling and celebrating the very best of 20th Century women's fashion and haute couture. Our hand-picked collection is currently available for sale in Browns, South Molton Street and Sloane Street, London and '125 Ledbury' 125 Ledbury Road, London. Highlights of the collection are also available online.

125 Ledbury Road
London W11 2AQ
T 020 7243 4118
www.vintageacademe.com

Jade Jagger

Refreshments and 10% discounts on First Wednesdays February 2nd.

Occupying an elegant but avant-garde space on All Saints Road, W11, the boutique embodies Jade’s acclaimed maverick and modern aesthetic identity.  In addition to the dazzling displays of jewellery available from the store, Jade’s collection of strikingly beautiful hand-beaded boho-luxe dresses will be available to purchase in limited colour-ways and designs. These pieces are a tangible expression of Jade’s rock n’ roll heritage, an extension of her carefree personality, and are exclusive to the ‘Jade Jagger’ boutique.

Also in store is her most recent ' Jade Jezebel Jagger ' collection- a fun and infinitely wearable collection reflecting Jade’s own bohemian aesthetic in this latest collection of slouchy t-shirts, slinky jersey dresses, sweatshirts and jewellery..

43 All Saints Road
London W11 1HE
T 020 7221 3991
www.jadejagger.co.uk

Bodas

Special 15% discount on the evening of First Wednesday February 2nd Quote: Seductive, desirable and understated -- underwear that is an everyday luxury. Set up to satisfy a gap in the market for innovative, easy to care for underwear that is  beautiful yet well priced, bodas has continued to surprise everyone with the quality and allure of its pieces. This focus on design quickly won bodas international recognition and partnerships  with fashion-driven retailers that include Barneys New York and Beverly Hills, Le Bon Marche in Paris, Lane Crawford Hong Kong and  Net-a-Porter.com. Bodas has two stores in Ledbury Road, Notting Hill and Spitalfields. Pioneering new fabric and finishes, the Sheer Mesh collection in Poudre is an example  of a wonderfully soft-to-the-touch, semi-transparent  fabric that offers complete support. Hailed by fashion journalists as the  “ultimate invisible underwear”, it has been chosen by stylists for the Zac Posen, Anna Sui, Temperley, Jenny Packham and Roland Mouret catwalk shows. The brand has also won praise from fashion journalists around the world:The Financial Times  has called it “just the right side of sexy”; The Daily Telegraph rated it “cute and blissfully  comfortable” while Harpers says:“Heavenly bodas… simple smart and sexy”. bodas is rather like a club to which friends introduce their friends and which no-one ever truly leaves  – but then, once discovered, the difference beautifully fitting underwear makes means there can be no going back. 38b Ledbury Road London, W11 2AB 0207 229 4464 www.bodas.co.uk

London Print Studio

Current exhibition: That's Novel – lifting comics from the page
From searing memoirs to global manga, from The Tower of Babel to The
Walking Dead, discover the latest, greatest and up-to-datest in
comics by leading international innovators and the British cutting edge.
A survey of innovators in the comics medium with original and digital
art works, printed books and specially-conceived projects both on and
off the page.... including famous and renowned artists such as
Charlie Adlard and Robert Kirkman, Ho Che Anderson, John Hicklenton
and Julian Hanshaw.

London Miles Gallery

Closing exhibition 'The Idol Houses' viewing with drinks and nibbles!

Iconic artworks reinterpreted for the modern age by an elite selection of international contemporary artists.
For online preview email sales@londonmiles.com

London Miles is the UK’s foremost gallery for exhibiting, nurturing, and unearthing artists working within the realms of surrealist, pop, lowbrow, comic book, and illustration art. With our unparalleled dedication to these subcultural art forms, London Miles provides the ideal gateway through which to explore these diverse and provocative genres, for both long-term art enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Their regular solo and group exhibitions, held intermittently at site-specific venues across London, exclusively showcase the work of some of the most renowned international proponents of the lowbrow art movement. Through their exhaustive network of international contacts London Miles proudly introduces internationally recognised artists to the UK, as well as handpicking the best emerging new talent from across the globe to exhibit here in Britain.

242 Acklam Road, Westbourne Studios, Studio 303, London W10 5JJ

020 3170 8618

www.londonmiles.com

Whitehall Gallery Viewing

Sparkling champagne and artwork viewing Whitehall brings the finest artwork from around the world to a discerning audience of art lovers. Placing the emphasis on individuality and quality, Whitehall reflects the exhilarating character and infinite variety of the contemporary art scene. The current portfolio includes the works of Jack Veltriano, Rolf Harris, Sherree Valentine Daines, Fabien Perez, Phillip Grey and Henderson Cisz. 100 Westbourne Grove London W2 5RU T 020 7229 0952 www.whitewallgalleries.com

Layers of Meaning

The Gallery at St Peter's
Exhibition : Thursday 20th January - 3rd February 2011 : "LAYERS OF MEANING" Annie Blanchet Rouze and Alexandra Ewerth An exhibition of paintings and sculptures Thursday 12 to 5pm, Friday 3.30 to 6pm, Saturday 12 to 5 pm PRIVATE VIEW THURSDAY 20th JANUARY 2011: 6.30 pm to 9pm First Floor, St Peter's Church, Kensington Park Road, London W11 For more information, please contact rebeccajdean@btconnect.com

*FABRICATION*

*FABRICATION *by Pier Paolo Pasolini in a new translation by Jamie McKendrick

25% off theatre tickets plus 15% off drinks and food at 'The Commander' over the road.

7.30pm

£12 tickets (usually £16)

Call 020 7221 6036 to reserve your tickets.

The Print Room is a brand new non-for-profit arts venue and performance space, specializing in experimental theatre, music, dance and visual art.

The space is a newly renovated 1950's warehouse, under the Artistic Directorship of Anda Winters and Lucy Bailey.

The venue aims to be a hidden artistic gem in the heart of Notting Hill, which intends to produce work of exceptional quality and collaborate with the most exciting creative talent.

34 Hereford Road, London, W2 5AJ
020 7221 6036
www.the-print-room.org