The Shape Open 2016 exhibition which opened on the evening of Thursday February 4th at the Guest Projects space in Hackney, was a memorable night for me. ‘Bad Head Day‘ – the piece of work I searched high and low for (finally materialising in the 119th box) was selected for the Shape Open 2016 award. It had been no small task to locate the artwork, but in the event, my persistent searching paid off. I feel honoured to receive a prize from an organisation whose work I’ve always respected and felt very positive about. Shape supported many of the students I worked with when I was a disability adviser in HE.
‘Bad Head Day‘ is part of a group show, featuring the work of 38 artists exploring the theme of ‘My Life.‘ The premise of the show was chosen by Shape patron Yinka Shonibare who explained in his introduction that he decided on this theme as an open brief, in order to allow artists to freely explore it. ‘In the context of an ever-changing society‘ he felt it was important to ‘… encourage reflection on the lives of disabled people and create an honest and wide-ranging discussion about the barriers we face.’
Both disabled and non-disabled artists were invited to submit work for what is Shape Art’s fourth annual open exhibition. Thank you to everyone at Shape Arts, including the curator of the Shape Open 2016, Ben Fredericks and his team. (Ben is pictured above with me, standing next to ‘Bad Head Day.’) And thanks also to the Shape and Guest Projects staff for such a warm welcome on the opening night. The show is well worth a visit and is on until February 21st. The details of opening times at the Guest Projects space are here and I’m pleased to say, is fully accessible!
https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Event/my-life-shape-open-2016
