I created this platform to make connections with artists in London and to discover new opportunities to gain exposure for emerging artists. I started to find more value in working with other artists, than simply painting alone in my studio. I’ve learned that each artist is different, and no two paintings are the same. There is something unique in all of us, and I find that painting has a beautiful way of expressing that individuality that we all possess. I’ve found that as a curator, my role is to bring people together, and that I function better working with others and discovering and uncovering new ideas through hearing from an artist and experiencing their work first hand. For this exhibition, I didn’t aim to group artworks together under a certain theme, but instead, I wanted to show the many themes and ideas that emerging artists deal with today. 

The London Paint Club community is about the artists involved, and it’s my job to find a way to communicate this clearly and to provide value and exposure for emerging artists. I believe that in today’s society, we face an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, which of course as we all saw, was only amplified by the recent pandemic. Painting is one of the most fascinating artforms to me because of its introspective nature, but that also means that it is probably one of the most lonely to perform. This is one of the reasons why I’m so excited to bring people together through exhibitions, and create inclusive ways for artists to be discovered through our Open Call opportunities. This popup exhibition, Selects: Vol. 2 is the result of all the efforts and possibilities presented from an online presence, celebrating that in a limited physical time and space. 

This exhibition is a hybrid of artists that I’ve met through Open Call exhibitions since 2020, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve built relationships with artists throughout time, which brings me joy to feel that in some small way, I might have contributed to their evolution or progress as an artist. I hope that throughout these two years of posting content on Instagram, having meals, coffees, attending private views, studio visits and grad shows, that this somehow all reveals itself in this exhibition. 

This exhibition is being displayed in an unusual and somewhat unorthodox way – in the lobby of a venue on Piccadilly Circus, one of the most commercial, central and iconic landmarks in London. I think that everything that has transpired with London Paint Club has felt a bit unorthodox, and I’ve never done things “by the book”, since I’m still trying to figure out which book I’m supposed to be reading. As an artist myself, (on pause for now) – I’ve really enjoyed talking with fellow artists and sharing the frustrations, fears, uncertainties, joys, awes and wonders of discussing painting. It’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my day to day job.

I hope that this exhibition inspires someone to start painting, to give it a try, to become an artist and that it gives these artists visibility, hope, and exposure to collectors who want to support their practice as much as I do. The art market is a tough place to figure out, and surviving as an artist seems more and more uncertain. It really does take courage to be an artist today, and I commend the artists who are risking the comfort of certainty to take their chance to express themselves through art and live in an authentic way. It is inspiring to me, and continues to motivate me to learn more from artists and contemplate ideas that resonate with us. Painting is a vehicle for ideas, a physical manifestation of emotions, physical energy, time, thoughts and history. 

This exhibition is also about conversations between the artists and myself. These conversations happened in the studio, through zoom, over coffee, crowded private viewings and through whatsapp. The magazine allowed me to document these moments and have a record of the thoughts and ideas that we discussed together. I enjoyed learning more about the art of interviewing and how to have engaging conversations about paintings. I by no means am an expert in painting, but I find that through being open and receptive to learning, questioning and thinking about painting, I have been taught many things that I would never learn in an art history class. I’m surprised sometimes that my project has come this far, and I am ever grateful to all of the people who have supported me along the way. Thank you for liking my posts, following my accounts, reading my email newsletters, buying the magazines, applying for the open calls and coming to our exhibitions.

– Kelly Foster, Director of London Paint Club