Flowers - exhibition at Saatchi Gallery

2025 is already off to a great start. I am thrilled to be included in the Saatchi Gallery's new "Flowers" exhibition. While this isn't my first time exhibiting with Saatchi, the excitement and honour of showcasing my work at one of the UK's most prestigious galleries remain as exhilarating as ever. What's even more thrilling this time is the heightened experience of being showcased alongside some of the most prolific and internationally renowned artists.

I thought I'd share the journey that led to this incredible moment.

Getting the call ...

A few years ago I was invited to exhibit in "In Bloom" at Saatchi on a very similar theme to this latest show. I submitted a large Wallflowers painting which seemed to generate positive interest.

Then in October last year I got an email from the head of Saatchi Gallery asking if I'd like to submit a new piece to this new exhibition. Naturally I was thrilled beyond words to be invited back. Though immediately I knew I wanted to do something new, something different and ultimately something better.

I presented my Oblivious collection which the team were already familiar with as they have been selling for the past year in the gift shop of the gallery. They agreed this would be a good choice. The only condition was if I could create something unique and different. My response was to this was "I want to go bigger and bolder". And that's when things started to get real very quickly because now I had to go off and make it. This exhibition celebrates the myriad ways artists interpret and represent flowers, and I knew I had to be part of it.

The making of ...

I often find myself in positions where I seem to bite off more than I can chew. To go bigger was going to be my first hurdle as the largest size I've printed edge to edge is 50x70cm - despite I've printed on paper, and canvas, at large size. Immediately this became a technical issue. My only solution would be to get outside help with someone who had facilities to print far bigger than me. By chance something miraculous happened. I discovered St Barnabas Print Studio who offer printing courses and for members to use their facilities. The blessing for me was discovering they have 2 to 3 meters screens which were plenty big enough for what I need to create my A0 size artwork.

Preparation started in November, initially conceptualising ideas on the computer than I did some small to scale prints before getting ready to work on the full scale piece which didn't commence until I returned from vacation in Australia in January.

I was met by James Hill, the founder of St Barnabas, and veteran print maker. James was instumental in helping me make this come alive.

We spent days prepping screens to enable the print to commence. However before that happened I began experimenting by making various handpainted backgrounds on the paper. I wanted to ensure that each print had it's own set DNA so to speak. When the prints were dry we got ready to print. By this time we were already 3 days in just to get the screenprinting phase to begin.

James and his assistant, Danica really rose to the challenge as we began carefully working each colour onto the paper.

If you're not famiilar with process printing, it involves seperating colour into 4 plates/screens: yellow, magenta, cyan and black (also know as CMYK). However unlike traditional lithographic printing which is often fairly precise, screenprinting CMYK is more an artform which in our case meant aligning, or registering as it's called, each colour by eye. This leaves you feeling entirely anxious throughout the process, as any mistake compounds each time where you can end up having no good prints. Thankfully this is where having a print master comes in. James mitigated most of the forseeable issues. However I'm sure it's fair to say James was at times bewildered by my request to alter the image on the various colours to allow for 'happy accidents' which resulted in spraying thinners on the oil ink to allow it to drip - something most master printer would probably never dream of doing.

By the last plate - black we finally had a view into what the artwork appeared as. As an artist, there are many times where you question - 'do I really like it' but in this case I immediately felt a great sense of pride knowing that it surpassed my expectations.

Thanks James and Danica for their massive contribution. Also a massive thanks to Luke for framing it.

The Exhibition

The "Flowers" exhibition is a vibrant tapestry of creativity, featuring large-scale installations, original art, photography, fashion, archival objects and graphic design exploring the ongoing influence of flowers on creativity and human expression. Walking through the gallery, I am in awe of the diversity and array of talent. Each piece tells a story, invites reflection, and offers a fresh perspective on the timeless motif of flowers.

My work, titled "Oblivious - 012501," is a new beginning for the collection - an evolution of the concept visualise and told in a new way. I've added a rich layered structure; with texture, form, and colour. The artwork alters in view from far to close up.

Seeing my pieces on the gallery walls, surrounded by the work of artists, with the likes of Damien Hirst, David Shrigley, VOYDER, Nick Knight, Andy Warhol, Miguel Chevalier, is surreal. I put this down to luck more than anything else. I guess in part it feels a moment of validation for the effort I have invested in creating this collection. I am grateful to the Saatchi Gallery for providing such a prestigious platform for all artists involved to share their voices.

If you have the chance, I highly recommend visiting the Saatchi Gallery to experience the "Flowers" exhibition firsthand. It’s a feast for the senses and a celebration of the boundless creativity that flowers inspire. Find out more about the exhibition, at the Saatchi Gallery website here.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, and I look forward to sharing more exciting updates soon!