STARCH

Starch – Art Exhibition at Askew Gallery

 

Preview: 1st May 2025, 6 - 8 pm
Exhibition Dates: 2nd May 2025 – 5th May 2025
Venue: Askew Gallery, 159 Askew Road, London, W12 9AU
Opening Hours: Daily, 11 am - 6 pm

 

Askew Gallery is delighted to present Starch, a dynamic group exhibition featuring the works of four local artists, Anna Booth, Sally Grumbridge, Louise Richards, and Roz Wallis. This multidisciplinary showcase explores the historical and artistic significance of starch through ceramics, photography, printmaking, and mixed media. Inspired by the area's history as a hub for laundries, the artists reinterpret the material’s role in domestic life, textile traditions, and artistic experimentation.

 

Anna Booth
Photographer, Anna looks at both starch in nature, as well as its early use in window displays; the boundary between private and public, through photography and printmaking. The very materials used in the artworks also tell a story of how starch is used in paper.

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Sally Grumbridge
Painter and printmaker, Sally‘s work is informed by personal, historical and/or cultural themes. For Starch, she explores the history of clothing and the use of starch to stiffen fabrics, drawing connections between fashion, domestic labour and roles in society. Her new work involves her use of starched fabrics and items of clothing as ‘printing plates’ for her striking images.

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Louise Richards
Visual artist, Louise transforms everyday objects and domestic rituals into bold, thought-provoking works. For Starch Richards presents a video Ironing; she provocatively irons her face, critiquing the repetitive nature of domestic work while commenting on pressures surrounding perfection and ageing. Her pop-art digital prints further celebrate everyday objects, reframing them as subjects of artistic exploration.

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Roz Wallis
Ceramics artist, Roz specialises in both functional and artistic pottery. Passionate about exploring diverse ceramic processes, Roz often collaborates with other artists to develop innovative works. For Starch, Roz examines the transformative nature of clay and its parallels with the malleability of starch in both artistic and domestic applications.

 

Exhibition Events: Daily at 3 pm
Art Workshops – Community-driven sessions exploring mono-printing and creative engagement with everyday materials
Artist Talk – Monday 5th May, A discussion with the participating artists about their processes, inspirations, and themes in Starch, with drinks and refreshments.

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Quote from Sally Grumbridge:
“Working towards this new exhibition Starch has given me the opportunity not only to develop new work based on a challenging theme, inspired by the history of the area known as Starch Green, but also to collaborate with three other
other talented artists, each of whom has something very different to say.”

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For press enquiries, artists' images and further information, please contact Louise at louiserichardsart@gmail.com or Askew Gallery at askewgallery@cparchitects.com.