Metamorphosis

Centre Administrator on March 3, 2025

Stella Chapman: “Metamorphosis” Exhibition at the Bonnington Cafe
The Bonnington Cafe is pleased to announce a captivating new exhibition by artist Stella Chapman, showcasing a series of innovative prints. On view throughout March 2025, Stella’s exhibition explores the theme of metamorphosis, inviting viewers into a dreamlike world of creatures caught between forms.
Stella uses her craft to transform spontaneous, observational drawings and collages into highly considered works of art. Through her unique process, Chapman turns quick, playful creations into pieces that reflect both the transitory and the deliberate, offering a balance of whimsy and formality.
This series is inspired by two literary works that deeply resonated with the artist: Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses and Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season. Both works depict beings undergoing transformation, in states of flux that echo the fluidity and instability of existence itself. Stella’s prints capture this sense of transience and metamorphosis, drawing on her fascination with the creatures from these texts—beings that exist more in the realm of imagination than in reality.
The process behind these pieces is intentionally intuitive, almost accidental, reflecting the artist’s playful approach to art-making. By combining collage and print techniques, Stella manipulates and experiments with fragments of animals to create uncanny, fragmented forms that mirror the disjointed nature of the imagined creatures. Unlike mythological hybrids such as mermaids or centaurs, the beings depicted here are amorphous, undefined, and existing entirely in the realms of art and fiction.
Stella’s work also brings a fascinating juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary methods. By appropriating imagery from archival sources, editing and hybridising them, she revives these fragments through the timeless medium of print. This collision between the old and the new mirrors the tension present in the literary works that inspired the exhibition—the push and pull between the familiar and the surreal.
The opening night will be held on Monday, March 3rd from 6-9 PM, providing an opportunity to meet the artist and explore this stunning new body of work. The exhibition is free to the public and will be on display throughout the month of March when the cafe is open. Stella is kindly donating 20% of all sale to the Bonnington Community Centre and Cafe
For more information, please contact: Stella Chapman

Bunny Love Deer, creator of art, lover of life, nature and words!

Centre Administrator on January 29, 2025

Private View / Opening Event this Sunday 2nd Feb 6-9pm (or later).
All Welcome! Bring along a musical instrument for a live jam session throughout the evening…

 

Wildlife is flourishing in the Bonnington Centre this month as “Bunny Love Deer, creator of art, lover of life, nature and words,” an advocate for animal rights, is our superb February artist.

Her quirky approach, expressed predominantly in fine pen and ink dot  work, in A Cathartic Journey, Drawing Inner Peace from the Outer Chaos, revels in the beauty of nature; at the same time, it portrays her angst at the savage destruction to wildlife and its habitats wrought by careless or uncaring human beings.
Bunny Love Deer, “a hopeless romantic of Mexican heritage”, warmly invites you to explore her creations and “the knowledge she seeks and shares.”
A percentage from all sales of artwork will go to wildlife charities and the Bonnington Centre Community Association.

MYSTERIOUS Music theatre artists in residence at The Bonnington Centre 26th to 31st Jan!

Centre Administrator on January 20, 2025

Composer Colum Findlay and writer/director Sarah Chew will be in residence at the Centre to write their new musical, Mysterious, a fantasy adventure about those who don’t fit in, those who can’t fit in, and those who choose to stand with them. During the week there will be a couple of pop up performances, and two workshops, which are free for Bonnington residents to attend. Sarah and Colum will also be offering open studio sessions where you can pop in to talk about their work, your work, or anything else you’d like a chat about!

If you would like to know more about open studios, please email sarahvchew@hotmail.com

Sunday 26th January, Workshops will take place at the Bonnington Centre :

2:15pm-5pm Fantasy character drawing session in the Top Room
Ever wanted to have a go at fantasy illustration? Ever wanted to explore how drawing can help with unlocking other creative activities? Join us – writer Sarah Chew and composer Colum Findlay – for a fun, creative session where we work from a clothed human model to create drawings of superhuman and magical characters, and look at how making drawings can help us make stories. We both use drawing in our creative practice, to unlock our ideas about characters and worldbuilding, and we are excited to share our ideas with you. You don’t need any existing drawing skills or experience to participate – just enthusiasm, and willingness to participate in some fun drawing exercises and games! We welcome all ages, but please ask that children attend with an adult. 
Paper, pencils and a limited number of other drawing materials will be provided. If possible please bring a drawing board, clipboard, a hardback book – anything you can lean on as you draw – as we can only provide a limited number of these. If you have art materials you enjoy using, feel free to bring them!
Entry is free, you can reserve your place here https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24498/fantasy-character-drawing-session-bonnington-centre-vauxhall or turn up on the day. If you would like to make a donation, all proceeds will be gratefully split between the creative team and the Bonnington Centre – however, donations are anonymous and entirely optional!
Please note: our apologies, this event is upstairs, there is no step free access. Please message us directly if you would like Zoom access to the session.
 6pm-9pm Pop up choir in the Cafe
Ever wanted to be the first to sing material from a newly-written musical?
Writer Sarah Chew and composer Colum Findlay are artists in residence for a week at the Bonnington Centre, where they will be creating Mysterious, a new fantasy musical about those who don’t fit in, those who can’t fit in, and those who chose to stand with them. 
Join them for a fun, free session singing some brand new songs from the show. You do not need to have any experience of singing in a choir, and you don’t need to be able to read music – just turn up and have fun!
You are also welcome to turn up just to listen. It may be possible to accommodate instrumentalists – please get in touch if you want to play an instrument and we can discuss.
Entry is free, you can reserve your place here https://www.outsavvy.com/event/24497/pop-up-choir-bonnington-cafe-vauxhall or turn up on the day. If you would like to make a donation, all proceeds will be gratefully split between the creative team and the Bonnington Centre – however, donations are anonymous and entirely optional! 
This event has step free access. Please message directly if you have other access requirements, we will do our best to meet access needs. This event is for ages 14 and over. 
These events are kindly supported by Arts Council England 

The Blue Horizon

Centre Administrator on January 20, 2025

Come along and see these stunning paintings until the 30th of January when the Bonnington Cafe is open.
Magdalena Del Mar, a London resident for the last 19 years, was born in Poland, where she first gained both experience and education in the practice of Art.
She exhibits regularly, her work being allied to her passionate interest in Art Therapy.
This she achieves through paintings that echo water-based scenery, in shades of green and blue: the softness of the varying hues and the depth of layers brings a serenity that joins sensory processing with Art.
Magdalena’s work is concerned with mindfulness and the positive impact of art on mental health.
Her other interests include Spanish culture and astrology.

LoomeWeight Party

Centre Administrator on January 15, 2025

Loomeweight is an interdisciplinary durational performance piece created by Patricia Auchterlonie and Hestor Dart. This project began with building an Iron Age style warp-weighted loom. Our loom is made from foraged materials and hung with hagstones (rocks with a single hole worn by the sea). The loom provides the framework for the creation of a tapestry is woven from ‘trash’ or rejected and broken items (e.g. plastic bags, rope, discarded clothing etc). While working, musical materials are passed between two voices, undergoing micro changes as the project unfolds. These improvised changes involve gradual shifts in rhythm, and melody, as well as experimental vocalisations and other non-sung materials. 
Loomeweight is a long-form performance piece which slows down the making process utilising pre-industrial, slow techniques and focuses on micro-changes and irregularities. Through this gentle endurance, loomeweight critiques and questions mass production within late stage capitalism. It also references directly the historical gesture of singing and weaving as a paired pursuit and explores the close relationship between these practises and folk culture / ancient histories. The project highlights the failures inherent in a system which promotes marketability and consumption over the sustainable processes of creating and community building. There is also exploration of the omnipresent theme of ecological collapse through the re-use of thrown away objects. 
Loomeweight I has made appearances at: Eavesdropping Festival at Cafe Oto, Starptelpa Festical in Riga, Nozstock Festival, hcmf//, the Bonnington Cafe and at the legendary Helgi’s Bar with experimental folk artists Milkweed. Keep an eye out for more loome(s) to come!

THE BLUE HORIZON Art Exhibition Brightens Up Our Cafe This January!

Centre Administrator on January 6, 2025

Come along and see these stunning paintings for the whole of January when the Bonnington Cafe is open. You are also invited to a PRIVATE VIEW with the Artist on Sunday 12th January 5-10pm. All paintings are for sale and 20% of profits will kindly be donated to the Bonnington Centre.  For more information please contact the artist here.
Magdalena Del Mar, a London resident for the last 19 years, was born in Poland, where she first gained both experience and education in the practice of Art.
She exhibits regularly, her work being allied to her passionate interest in Art Therapy.
This she achieves through paintings that echo water-based scenery, in shades of green and blue: the softness of the varying hues and the depth of layers brings a serenity that joins sensory processing with Art.
Magdalena’s work is concerned with mindfulness and the positive impact of art on mental health.
Her other interests include Spanish culture and astrology.
Written by Jane Michelson Vuglar; Fourth World Arts Volunteer.

Solo Art Exhibition: A Splash of Colour by Michelle Baharier

Centre Administrator on December 2, 2024

Venue: Bonnington Centre Community Association
Location: 11 Vauxhall Grove, London SW8 1TD
Dates: 3rd December 2024 until 20th December 
Opening Reception: Meet the Artist on 9th December 2024   5.30 pm till 9.30pm
Admission: Free

Renowned British artist Michelle Baharier is set to present her powerful solo exhibition, A Splash of Colour, at the Bonnington Centre Community Association in Vauxhall, London. This exhibition showcases Baharier’s dynamic approach to contemporary art, blending expressive colours and textures that reflect her spirited interpretation of urban life, community, and mental health awareness.

Baharier, is celebrated for her powerful emotive works, which includes acrylic Portraits that break down barriers putting disabled people in the frame and architectural photographs, bringing a unique worldview.  A Splash of Colour is an invitation to explore the intersections of mental-health and creativity, conveyed through vivid hues and spontaneous brushstrokes. The variety of inspiring works on show depict the breadth of influences from narratives on resilience, joy to the power of people, many unknown, who have shaped our society

The Bonnington Centre Community Association, located in the heart of Vauxhall, provides an inclusive community space providing a cafe, gallery and the local community. This exhibition underscores its mission to foster community through art, social events, and creativity.

Artist Bio:
Michelle Baharier is an acclaimed artist and advocate whose work addresses social issues through a compassionate, community-oriented lens. Her exhibitions have inspired audiences across the UK and beyond, resonating with those who see art as a catalyst for social change. She is a n award wining graduate form the SLADE School of fine art, her work is in private and public collections. She is a member of ‘Invisible women’ an arts council funded group of disabled women artists, the Bethlem Collective, the Colour walk, Disability Arts on line. Michelle is currently commissioned to work with the London transport museum.

Exhibition Highlights:

  • A vibrant collection of paintings that evoke the energy of urban life and community spirit.

Join us for A Splash of Colour, an exhibition that captures the essence of community and the transformative power of art.

Contact Information:
For press inquiries, interviews, and further information, please contact:
Michelle Baharier
07952481566
mbfcsra@gmail.com

Social Media:
Follow Michelle Baharier and the Bonnington Centre Community Association on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the exhibition.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bahariermichelle/ 

Dyana Zada paintings

Centre Administrator on November 4, 2024

The Bonnington centre welcomes Dyana Zada, the London-based Syrian-British artist, for November’s exhibition, Vulnerability in Self-Expression.

The exhibition opens on Saturday the 9th November from 10am to 4pm, and on display until the 30th November (Bonnington Centre usual opening hours apply).

Featured in 2021 Boomer Magazine, under the theme of Identity, Dyana’s work focuses on our inner worlds.

Inspired by both figurative and expressionist styles, Dyana “reflects the intricate journey of self-discovery, capturing the psyche’s complexities through vivid and thought-provoking imagery.

Painting has been my refuge…through my art, I express emotions that are often difficult to put into words, depicting emotional states, longings and fantasies derived from my personal experience.”

Since her arrival here in 2014, she developed a passion for acrylics on canvas, finding this medium best conveys the sharp brightness of her vision.

“It’s fascinating how art holds different meanings for different people, making it a shared journey of discovery between the artist’s intent and the viewer’s perception.”

Visit our latest art exhibition and share the journey with Dyana!

Raffle offers chance to be photographed by artist Bari Goddard in THE DRESS

Centre Administrator on March 2, 2024

(Main photo: Pippa D in THE DRESS. Copyright Bari Goddard)

A unique raffle is running until March 28th 2024 with just one prize – being photographed in a stunning white dress by Bari Goddard, the avant-garde and wonderfully controversial Welsh singer-songwriter, artist, and photographer.

Bari’s latest show, THE DRESS, is also running throughout March at both the Bonnington Centre and the Bonnington Cafe in Vauxhall, SW8 1TD. 

The show – several years in the making – features dozens of notable LGBTQ figures, including celebrities such as Holly Johnson – wearing the same beautiful white dress. Each wearer brings their own personality and emotions to their photoshoot – leading to a richly textured and emotional show.

Bari’s work as an artist encompasses film-making, painting, photography, and music. He has performed and recorded with Jimmy Somerville, Madonna, Cliff Richard, Banderas, Horse, Vinna Bee, Anarchistwood and Then Jerico.

Critic Andrija Seifried is full of praise for Bari’s new work: “Bari shows both a mischievous and sometimes grotesque sense of humour through placing before us a complex tableau of uniquely different scenarios and moods. What we wear is rarely who we are.

“You really have to know the artist to understand and journey through this bizarre carnival of characters which include Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Adele Anderson of Fascinating Aida, Charlotte Hunter of Harry Potter film fame and a myriad of other straight, gay and trans and non-binary subjects.”

Until March 28th, raffle tickets will also be on sale for £10 each featuring a remarkable prize – a photoshoot for the winner while wearing THE DRESS at a London location. The prize draw will be made at a special event at the Bonnington Centre shortly after the raffle closes, and the winner notified. 

The raffle winner will be the last ever person to be photographed in THE DRESS before Bari himself dons it for the last time, and then sets it on fire! 

Raffle tickets can be purchased for £10 each, and you can purchase as many as you’d like, using the QR code above. Please include in the Notes section your name, and THE DRESS RAFFLE. Bari has kindly decided that 50% of all proceeds from the raffle will go to the Bonnington Centre Community Association, a not for profit, community-led resource.  

While the City Sleeps: Copyright Bari Goddard