Own Art On The Road | London
#OwnArtOnTheRoad is heading to the Big Smoke! With over 40 Own Art galleries based in London, we have a busy ride ahead of us. So join us on this London expedition as we take our very own virtual tour of the city.
HAVE WE MISSED ANYTHING EN ROUTE?
GET IN TOUCH HERE AND WE’LL ADD IT TO OUR ITINERARY.
Let’s head to the Royal Academy first, slap bang in the middle of Hyde Park and the River Thames. The Royal Academy’s art sales programme presents unique and limited-edition works for sale by some of the strongest contemporary artists based in the UK and beyond, including Royal Academicians and invited artists selected by experts from the RA.
After we’ve taken out our Own Art loans to pay for our amazing limited edition prints, we can wander around the corner to St Jame’s Piccadilly to grab something delicious at the Monday and Tuesday food market.
There’s virtually no parking tickets here, so let’s take our time and head through the city by foot through Covent Garden, the famous London shopping destination. Anything you need or want, you will be able to get here! But keep some room in your shopping bags, because we’re not far from M1 Fine Art, located in the very heart of this shopping paradise!
Let’s get back in the car and head across the river and over to Borough, where we can grab a few snacks from the renowned Borough Market before heading off to artist Shane Bradford’s new venture, Assembly Line.
Shane Bradford: “Assembly Line is an artist-led contemporary platform for bespoke art multiples. I run it from my studio/factory in an old printing workshop near London Bridge. As well as my own work we have editions from Benedikt Hipp & Sampo, with more on the way from Jack Brindley (Pavillion Pavillion), and Kate Groobey amongst others…”
Just a quick drive east and we can stop off at the M1 Fine Art‘s Greenwich branch, surrounded by rich London history and amazing coffee!
Luckily, we have Own Art gallery JEALOUS to help guide us through North and East London:
“At JEALOUS we are lucky enough to have two spaces in London. So in a similar fashion to having children, it’s impossible to have just one favourite. With that in mind, I will be recommending both Shoreditch in East London and Crouch End in North London.”
“Firstly Crouch End, which is located on top of a hill nestled between Finsbury Park, Archway, Muswell Hill and Alexandra Palace. It has an overground station, followed by an uphill walk, or bus. But it’s worth the effort, it has more of a village vibe than other places in London and has some incredible places to eat and drink. My favourites are Sable D’or and Dunns Bakery – recently made even more famous by season 3 of Killing Eve. Alongside the many independent cafes and restaurants, there is Nickel the divine cocktail bar and lots of independent clothing shops and boutique stores. Head there for an afternoon of meandering about the shops and sampling some foody delights. And of course, pop into JEALOUS! This is our original gallery space, founded in 2008 and we display all our screenprints as well as staging solo exhibitions with our artists, featuring original works alongside their limited editions. We also offer framing services and art consultations, as well as Own Art which helps to make the works we show more affordable and accessible to our collectors! This week we are opening a Dave Buonaguidi solo exhibition, which will feature some of his vintage map collection, which he has emblazoned with his distinctive, bold neon lettering demanding ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’ and ‘I FUCKING LOVE THIS PLACE’. At a time when our travel is limited, let this exhibition take you around the world.”
“Secondly Shoreditch, we opened our Shoreditch Gallery space in 2014 in the same four-storey building which also houses our Screenprinting Studio. In this space, we exhibit our huge portfolio of limited edition screenprints, as well as rotating solo and group exhibitions with the artists we work with. In September we will be opening a solo exhibition with David Shillinglaw, an exciting young artist whose colourful patchwork-like works are a mixture of painting, collage, figurative, pattern and abstraction, creating a cacophony of thrilling textures.”
“Shoreditch has become a creative hub and features many exciting galleries and artists taking residence in the area, including Pure Evil, the Princes Drawing Trust, Charlie Smith London and Patrick Hughes Studio. I have many favourite grazing spots in the area, but lunch is always from Rubys Café on Charlotte Road, serving the best Italian flavours in London. There are so many delicious dinner spots, but my go tos are Cay Tre and Andina Shoreditch, followed by cocktails at Happiness Forgets, a tiny basement bar without signage on Hoxton Square.”
“Aside from restaurants, bars, of which there are plenty in the area, and galleries, there is a rich history of street art and graffiti in East London, particularly Brick Lane, also known for the many curry houses which line the street. Shoreditch is the place in London where you can get completely lost and discover new delights on every corner. So wander without a map and discover the most exciting part of London, then come see us at JEALOUS (of course)!”
Our next stop will be East England, so get in touch to give us your travel tips!