Cathy's Art Diary

Excellent exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall from the Koestler Arts, an organisation organising art therapy in prisons. The trust has an annual show and it is always interesting. This year it was curated by Ai Weiwei and went for impact. Over 1000 pictures were shown in small displays the size of an average prison cell highlighting the enormity of the issue and the power of making rather than the product. Some cells also had poems on the floor and at the end was a display of sculptures and handicraft. Rather than labelling the work this year the works were numbered and listen in a small book which made it feel very like the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. I’m pretty sure it was the same format and font! What a brilliant idea to have it curated by such a major artist who has been a prisoner themselves. I hope the big name attracts more people to come to the show. Closes 18 December 2022    

Interesting exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall organised by Koestler Arts, the UK’s leading prison arts charity showing work by people in prison and on probation. This year’s show was curated by the jazz musician Soweto Kinch who has tried to highlight the depth of experience. The show was split into three sections Stained Glass Superman, Disco Dogs and That Was Then, This is Now but I’m not sure I understood the theming. There were paintings, sculpture, poetry and this year there were also examples of songs. I didn’t have time to listen to many of them but was very impressed by the production and content of the ones I did spend time with. The work showed how art can help people work through issues in their lives as well as creating a diversion in different times. Highlights this year included a top hat made of sculpted paper from books and magazines, a lovely portrait from HM Prison Warren Hill where the light came through small holes in the left hand of the pictur...

Moving exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall of work by people in prison. It was organised by the Koestler Trust a prison arts charity which awards, rewards, exhibits, sells & champions arts by prisoners, secure patients & detainees to help them transform their lives. This annual show asked nine family members supporting people though a sentence to choice work produced in the year. There were some lovely work in the show but it’s value lay more in what is was saying and what producing it had meant to the artists. Some of it was hard to look at as you were looking at peoples’ anxieties played out before you. It was a nice touch to include poetry as well as paintings and sculptures. I loved one picture called “Storm in a Glass of Water” which showed a drop of paint falling from a brush into a glass of water and forming a wonderful landscape, such a clever idea and exquisitely painted. I also liked this beautifully painted apples and biscuits using a metal plate a...