Smiley Smile is based around four different artists: Fabienne Jenny Jacquet, Pierre Julien, Harry Pye, and Kelda Storm. The title of the show comes from the name of an old Beach Boys album which featured the hit single 'Good Vibrations'. The aim of the exhibition is to keep hope alive and give people some reasons to be cheerful.
"The more I find out about people, the more I like my dog." Mark Twain
"My paintings are acts of love." Francis Picabia
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Fabienne Jenny Jacquet creates dark, sensual and moody figurative art with a touch of humour based on her experience as a female outsider. Her subjects are often awkward and uncomfortable, their bodies twisted in unnatural poses or stumbling, limbs distorted and flesh exposed. They might be breaking apart or teetering on the edge of the abyss, but they are also triumphant challengers of the status quo clawing their way to freedom. Beautiful losers and angry waifs. These paintings tell stories of isolation, otherness, body shaming, sex, beauty, ugliness and death. To articulate her vision of the world, the artist explores the physicality of paint through thick, luscious layers and tactile textures. She uses expressive brush strokes, dripping paint and free, broad gestures to create instinctive compositions with loose outlines. Her work conveys a mixture of fragility and strength and an ongoing sense of urgency. Source material for her paintings include images from vintage magazines, photographs taken by the artist and references to popular culture and art history which are then merged with her own memories and emotions. This gives the work a feeling of relatable universal longing and of hope against all odds.
Pierre Julien has been painting portraits of people he works with at the Tate Gallery since 2022. So far over 100 friends and colleagues have posed for him. The images can be seen on social media platforms such as Insta and Facebook. Pierre started working at the Tate in 2013 with the company Wilson James and has worked for Tate directly since 2016 as a Visitor Assistant. Pierre describes working at Tate as being a privilege because there is a "constant influx of artists and legacies."
Harry Pye is presenting 'Top Trumps' which is his collection of artworks made in response to William Hogarth's painting of his pet pug. (At time of writing) The esteemed artists lending a work are; Bula Agbo, Magda Archer, Peter Blake, Adam Dant, Edie Flowers, Georgia Hayes, Lyndon Hayes, John Hegley, Jumpei Kinoshita, Peter Jones, James Lawson, Lee Maelzer, Raksha Patel, Rowland Smith, Rebekah Sunshine, Suzanne Spiro, Twinkle Troughton, and Sandra Turnbull.
Kelda Storm makes vibrant and playful artwork created from her colour-saturated world; every image, every artwork carries meaning, or narrative elements. Lips feature heavily as they are the ultimate feminine iconography that serve to sexualise and sensualise and are also a symbol of voice and freedom. The artist says "I present a duality that sits between the joyous and serious. Along with my brash colour palette, the artwork I produce is deliberately minimal; almost stripped to just what you need to see…"
Title: ‘’Like a fish out of water” by FabienneMedium: oi on oil paperSize: 30 x 35 cm (framed)Year: 2025Find out more about Fabienne: HERE___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Title: ‘’Doublespeak” by Kelda Medium: ScreenprintSize: 50x70cm (Edition of 10)Year: 2025Find out more about Kelda: HERE___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Title: ‘’The Artist's Pug" by Sir Peter Blake (from the collection of Harry Pye)Medium: Signed art printSize: Year: 2000Find out more about Harry: HERE___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Title: ‘’Derek Jordan' by PierreMedium: Acrylic on mountboardSize: 45cm by 60cmYear: 2023Find out more about Pierre: HERE
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We set up and hang all the work on Wednesday the 11th of March and have a party from 5pm till 8pm. On Thursday the 12th, Friday the 13th, Saturday the 14th we are open to the public between 11am and 6pm. On Sunday 15th we have everything taken away by 12 midday.
