Solastalgia Exhibition at Turf Projects

March 14, 2024 Matt Bannister

I am taking part in a group exhibition called Solastalgia at Turf Projects, Croydon.

Installation view of the exhibition ‘Solastalgia’. Works shown are by Anita Wadsworth, Matt Bannister, Asha Fontenelle, Flora Hunt, Dave Miller.

“Solastalgia occurs when someone feels a sense of anxiety, grief, or loss due to the degradation or alteration of their home environment. It is the inability to find solace in one’s surroundings.”

The end of 2023 marked Turf Projects’ 10 year anniversary. It has been a time to look back at the journey the organisation has been on, celebrating all that we’ve achieved; and also to look forward to the space we are yet to carve out, the Croydon of the future we would like to create.
Following on from themes from our last programme ’Desire Paths’, and linking in to Turf’s year of ‘demystification’, Turf staff, studio holders, and collective members have contributed works to a group show exploring our relation to home, to sense of belonging, to Croydon and space – or lack thereof.
‘Solastalgia’ incorporates the work of 21 artists and groups to create a communal Croydon folklore; some works that celebrate our shared space, and some that show longing for those that have been lost.

Installation view of the exhibition ‘Solastalgia’. **Dark Park** by Matt Bannister.

Installation view of the exhibition ‘Solastalgia’. Works shown are **Dark Park** by Matt Bannister and pieces by Asha Fontenelle, and Dave Miller.

My large scale drawing (the largest I’ve done for a good few years) Dark Park is on display for the first part of the exhibition until 22nd March. From 23rd March to 27th April other pieces by me TBC will be on show.

Installation view of the exhibition ‘Solastalgia’. Photograph: ©Zoe Maxwell.

‘Solastalgia’ at Turf Projects. Photograph: ©Zoe Maxwell.

26 Jan – 27 Apr 2024

Turf Projects, 46-47 Trinity Court, Whitgift Centre, Croydon CR01UQ

Free & open to all

Royal Society of British Artists 2024 Exhibition

March 13, 2024 Matt Bannister

I was very lucky to have been one of the non-members selected for the Royal Society of British Artists 2024 Exhibition.

Here’s my work ‘February’ that Croydonians may also recognise from the banners hanging from lamp posts in and around the town (See previous post). Not surprisingly there were lots of great pieces by the artists at the exhibition at The Mall Galleries. There is now an online catalogue to view the show here.

Art On The Streets Of Croydon

February 7, 2024 Matt Bannister

My paintings have been blown up (onto banners) as part of a town-wide art installation in central Croydon.

Three designs of lamp-post banners - featuring slices of my paintings ‘February’, ‘People’ and ‘Night Flowers’ are now hanging up and repeated on the High Street and elsewhere in Croydon. Alongside them are some other really bright, eye-catching works on banners by local creatives Miguel Sopena, Divya Sharma, Skye Baker and Melanie Russell. The Creative Croydon initiative set up by Croydon BID has returned to Croydon town centre this Winter creating an open-air art gallery for people to enjoy.

Thanks so much to Julia at 31% Wool and the Check Out Croydon team for making this happen. Thanks to Glenn Foster for taking these photographs, too. The whole display of work is up until April 2024.

For more background to the project visit Croydonist.

All the artists’ works appearing in the outdoor ‘exhibition’.

ING Discerning Eye 2023 Exhibition

January 2, 2024 Matt Bannister

A bit of late news but my trio of wood panel drawings ‘Junction’, ’Stafford Road’ and ‘Vauxhall’ and my two Devon paintings ‘Pause (I)’ and ‘Pause (II)’ were all selected for the 2023 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition at the end of last year.

It was held at The Mall Galleries from 17th to 26th November 2023, and online until the 31st December 2023. The ING Discerning Eye annual exhibition is a show of small, domestic scale, works independently selected by six prominent figures from different areas of the art world: two artists, two collectors and two critics. This is the third time I’ve exhibited with the Discerning Eye (I was previously selected in 2020 and 2022).

I had a lively lovely evening at the artists’ opening of the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition. It was great to have five pieces on the large wall curated by Tony Adams. Excuse the double-posed photo composite but I couldn’t get them all in the same frame with me! So good to have four of them hanging together.

The exhibition was curated by a star-studded panel including singer Ian “H” Watkins and former England footballer Tony Adams among other tastemakers. Out of 6,500 entries, 628 artworks by 387 creatives were shortlisted for this prestigious show. The ING Discerning Eye showcases talent in a wide range of media – painting, drawing, sculpture, print, photography, video, textile, ceramic and more. This is the 25th year of the Discerning Eye charity’s partnership with bank ING.

Penny Harris and Marine Costello discuss the work. [ Photo: Parker Harris ]

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2023 Selection

June 1, 2023 Matt Bannister

My two paintings: ‘Push Button And Wait’ and ‘No Stopping’ have been selected for the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition 2023, helmed by David Remfry RA.

The proud parent posed with his offspring! Selected by Eileen Cooper RA for her Room IX.

I did these pieces in the first lockdown and since then they’ve been on the wall of my studio. Really glad they’re going to be seen by a larger audience than just me! ‘No Stopping’ and ‘Push Button And Wait’.

David Remfry was one of the judges for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition in 2020, that I was also in, and ultimately chose my painting ‘Check Your Travel’ as the winner of the inaugural Cityscape Prize.

This year saw 11,204 entries from the public with 998 artists making the cut and 1,613 artworks featuring in the exhibition.

You can watch a nice tour of the show here. It’s effectively a walk around after everyone has gone home. Can you spot my paintings? They are there, I assure you.