Venetia Higgins, Raphael Greaves, Pollyanna Johnson, Joseph Dupré, Holly Frean, George Greaves & Florence Sweryda.
CURIOS
7 Artists curate a cabinet of curiosities – a delightful mix of satirical ceramics, whimsical collages, large-scale mythological paintings and miniature medieval paintings.
-
The artists exhibiting are all inspired by the weird and the wonderful throughout history. From classical mythology to eastern European folk, from medieval marginalia to global symbolism, their work draws on diverse historical sources to bring an intriguing, eclectic and utterly charming group show to Green & Stone. The work on display will be a cabinet of curiosities – a delightful mix of satirical ceramics, whimsical collages, large-scale mythological paintings and miniature medieval paintings.
Venetia Higgins, 2024
George Greaves
George Greaves is a London based artist, and co-founder of homewares brand Printed Goods. His work is inspired by Jungian ideas, mythology and dreams. Working in a broad range of mediums with an intuitive approach to creating his work. Influences range from folk artists, to the early renaissance, and artists such as Paulo Ucello, William Blake and Georgio De Chirico. George has worked and collaborated with many brands such as Hermes, Soho House, Rimowa, Bulgari, Hennessy and Many more.
@georgegreaves_
Venetia Higgins
Venetia Higgins is a London-based artist and printmaker. She studied History of Art at the University of Edinburgh before working in the arts and culture sector for five years, including running events and exhibitions at Elephant Family and Green & Stone. She took a year out to undertake the Online Drawing Development Year at the Royal Drawing School 2022-2023, and since then has focused on printmaking and painting.
Venetia is predominantly interested in how flora and fauna have been depicted throughout history - from medieval marginalia to alchemical manuscripts, from natural history illustration to early renaissance paintings - and draws inspiration from many sources in her work. Her current work is focused on medieval miniatures in egg tempera which sell internationally.
@venetiahiggins
Holly Frean
Holly Frean is an award-winning artist whose work incorporates a range of mediums from oil painting to original prints. Holly has developed a unique and technically accomplished style which appeals to a wide range of art lovers and collectors.
She has been commissioned by the leading Designers Kit Kemp and Johnny Bowden working in collaboration with a wide range of brands including Burberry, Paul Smith and Anthropologie. She was awarded the National Open Art Competition Painting Prize in 2012 chosen by Grayson Perry and regularly exhibits at the Royal Academy. She exhibits regularly both in the United Kingdom and the USA and commissions include those from the Duchess of Northumberland, designer Betty Jackson, comedians Russell Howard and Ricky Gervais and actor Russell Tovey.
@hollyfrean
Joseph Dupre
Joseph Dupré’s subjects are ordinary creatures: dogs, cats, birds, sailboats. His smaller- than-life renderings in either clay or bronze and wax retain a childlike playfulness that comes from devoting as much attention to the surface as to the sculptural form itself. Citing Picasso’s ceramics as well as Matisse and Braque as inspirations, Dupré imbues his subjects with a sweetness that reminds one of youthful creativity and inspiration.
The artist achieves the vibrant finish of his pieces by hand-building and modeling his porcelain creations and painting each work before firing. Born in 1987 and largely self- taught, he has also worked in painting, drawing, and printmaking, but regardless of medium, the artist is primarily concerned with mark making and line. His crude shapes emphasize the hand-pressed nature of a bird’s beak and feathers in Expectantly Blue (2022), while the subject’s indigo hues and crisscross feathers indicate the fragile and painstaking process of both nature and sculpture.
@josephduprestudios
Pollyanna Johnson
Since graduating with a Masters from the Royal Drawing School, Pollyanna has been creating ceramics, oil paintings, and drawings. Her work sells internationally and has been featured in House and Garden, Harper’s Bazaar, and Idler among others.
Her initial influence when she started working with ceramics was English delftware, for its simple and decorative monochromatic designs. She uses the juxtaposition of female portraits from history with feminist phrases and slogans to mock the patriarchy and highlight gender inequality.
Pollyanna’s recent collaborations include Dior, Gant and The National Portrait Gallery.
@pollyannajohnsonceramics
Raphael Greaves
Raphael Greaves is a London-based artist and co-founder of the homeware brand Printed Goods. Their work is characterized by a fascination with the enigmatic, drawing on historical influences to create something new. While inspired by many sources, Raphael takes particular influence from early 20th-century artists and movements, including Eric Ravilous, John Armstrong, Fernand Léger, and Alekos Fassinos. Themes of myth and archetypal symbolism are woven throughout their work.
Past clients include The New Yorker, The Telegraph, Rixo, and Papier.
@raphael_greaves
Florence Sweryda
Florence Sweryda is an artist and maker from East Sussex. Coming from a creative family, she spent much of her early years making miniature classic cars and layered scenes from paper. Inspired by a multitude of elements: everyday life, antique curiosities, pattern, folk art, the story books that shape that first part of our lives.
Florence explores making in all its forms from hand painting the walls, making the crockery for the table, and now in the last couple of years, returning to her childhood love of painting and constructing in miniature. A connecting thread of fine decorative detail and the natural world runs throughout Florence’s body of work.
@florence.sweryda