At the start of the year I was having a coffee on Prospect Road, right across from my mural on Myrtle Street. My beautiful friend Elly commented that I should have my cards for sale at Ekto Living homewares shop. After all they have my mural on their outside wall!
I took her advice and thought I’d see if they would consider it. Turns out Jilly and Colin, the owners are even more supportive than I imagined. They want me to have an exhibition for a month in their store! I’m thrilled to be setting it all up this Sunday, March 10, 2019.
Photo by Finding Adelaide. Leah Grant painting at Tourrific Street Party 2018.
The collection I’ve chosen to display during March and April is a selection of giclee prints that I have created over the last 4 years. I first started working in this style when I moved to Adelaide in 2014. I was greatly influenced by the city lights, arts culture and new relationships that were forming.
Adelaide is a beautiful place to live and it’s created a new start for me in my artistic practice. These pieces are a celebration of colour whilst contemplating where true happiness is found. I live locally in Enfield now and love the Prospect area, so I’m honoured to share this body of work with you, in a suburb I’m so fond of.
Mural by Leah Grant on Myrtle Street, Prospect.
All my artist quality giclee prints that will be at the exhibition are printed locally here in Adelaide at ProLab Imaging. I could literally go on for days about how wonderful Chris and the team are there. They have put up with me for a long time! They have wonderful expert advice about all things fine art and printing. I can be a bit stressed leading up to an exhibition and they really help make that all go smoothly.
Ekto Living.
Ekto Living.
Throughout the whole exhibition planning process, I’ve been blown away at how enthusiastic Ekto Living have been. We chatted extensively about the need for connection in art and the power of your story.
Jilly and Colin have encouraged me to not only write up an artist statement for the exhibition, but I’ve written an individual description for each piece. This whole process has been really refreshing, as I’ve started to describe my own connection to this series of work. Here’s a sneak peak of what I’ve written for ‘You’re Welcome’…
‘You’re Welcome’ by Leah Grant
“The feelings my work evoke are often the exact opposite of what I’m experiencing when I’m making. I feel as though the colours and movement of this piece are distant from me, but something I long to attain. It’s beaming with delightful happiness and so pleased to bring a smile to those who will stop and look. Even if nobody stops, it won’t be disheartened, I promise you, this piece will keep on shinning while your not watching.”
‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’ by Leah Grant will also be on display at this exhibition.