Lawyers Arts Club is pleased to announce the Bold exhibition.
The exhibition will feature original artwork by Jade Whitbrook and Moesha Jones and is a debut show for both artist's work. Bold tackle's themes of Vaccinationism in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This is a diverse collection of artworks from two of Birmingham's rising stars.
The Lawyers Arts club is an organization which combines Law and Art in the heart of Birmingham's artistic quarter. Following the success of our first exhibition last September, Bold promises to be an equally immersive experience. Using the artwork as a vessel: we can initiate discussions about evolving world affairs creatively. Discursive and unique in style, our Artists present their feelings through a range of digitally crafted pieces. Jade and Moesha have worked hard to bring this exhibition together, we asked them about the Bold exhibition.
Q. How does it feel to present your Artwork to the public for the first time?
Jade - It's exciting to be able to showcase everything I've been working on. It’s a rare chance and I'm grateful to be given this opportunity.
Moesha – Exciting and nerve-wracking. I hope it will build my confidence as an artist and help to develop my networking skills.
Q. Are you excited to have your work exhibited?
Jade- Yes, I am. Obviously it's not something that happens every day. There's not a lot of places that recognize art as a job so to be given a chance to showcase is great.
Moesha - Yes because I can potentially meet new people who haven't seen my art yet and hopefully make connections.
Q. Can you tell me what does the word Bold mean to you?
Jade – Bold means to be self- expressive and unapologetic.
Moesha - I’d say it means confident, daring and brave and ambitious.
Q. What do you think makes your body of work Bold?
Jade - It’s vibrant and punchy and leaves an impression. It inspires people to think and contemplate the images in reflection to the world and how it might escalate.
Moesha - My art style first and foremost, I use bright colours that stand out. I do a lot of character design which I enjoy and try to make unique characters.
Q. As an audience, what can we expect from Bold?
Jade - From bold we can expect vibrant images that have sensitive approaches to topical issues.
Moesha - Generally it's difficult to pinpoint because it's quite a broad term. But you will see new things and it might start In depth discussions because of how broad it is.
Q. How would you describe your style as an artist?
Jade - My work in this exhibit reflects frontline jobs but not only that, the other things that can be affected by vaccinationism. It could potentially happen that the no jab no job situation might get worse and therefore the unvaccinated will become segregated from the vaccinated. I create work that shows realism.
Moesha - I’m hardworking, enthusiastic and willing to learn new things. My style is inspired by anime and is warm, colourful and character design based. I'd like to improve the posing of the characters making them more posable and dynamic.
Q. What does the future hold for you?
Jade - My aspiration is to be a tattoo artist, and this is why I specialize in realism as it is where my interest is artistically.
Moesha - I want to work in the gaming industry as a concept artist or character designer. I want to learn 3D modern and hopefully build my portfolio by experimenting in different formats.
The title Bold is an interesting reflection of the Be Bold Be Birmingham advert. As a Club housed in the middle of Birmingham City Centre, we see the Be Bold Be Birmingham advert all the time. We like to act rather than rely solely on conversation, it’s like when we see banners to promote inclusivity while what we are is just inclusive. As is the same with Be Bold, we do not have to see it to be it - we just do it.
The Bold exhibition is a diverse collection of artworks created by two of our Resident Artists. The exhibition presents themes of Law in Art through a variety of styles and designs. Vaccinationism is a movement of art that refers to discussions and misconceptions that arose because of the Covid-19 vaccine: it is a phrase coined by conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne. While Jade's art is rooted in realism, Moesha stylistically creates anime inspired pieces. This exhibition debuts work from two of Birmingham's rising stars of the art scene and will be held at the creative hub of Lawyers Arts Club. As the world adapts to living alongside Covid-19; these unique pieces reflect responsive feelings and reactive emotions to the world as it has changed over the duration of the pandemic.
As we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2022 marks a historic year for Birmingham. On July 28th, the Commonwealth Games will be held in the heart of the city after being postponed due to Coronavirus. The Commonwealth Games represent an opportunity for unity as people come together from over seventy nations to celebrate in a festival of sport. Not only is the Commonwealth Games a celebration of sport, but it also offers opportunities for artists to collaborate thematically in and around the city with a number of productions being scheduled to happen alongside the games. It is set to be a vibrant event that celebrates diversity in Birmingham.
2022 also represents what will hopefully be the final year of the Covid-19 Pandemic, mandatory vaccinations for care workers and face coverings have been implemented to tackle the spike in cases. Art is an important way to translate current issues as it acts therapeutically and poignantly to provide the opinion of the artist. This art is particularly prevalent right now as it captures a notable period that will be one day be spoken about in the history books. We hope the artwork will provoke healthy and fruitful discussions about the current and escalating situation.
The Lawyers Arts Club offers opportunities for young artists in Birmingham by recruiting through the Kickstart Employment Scheme. We support young artists by offering them a space with which to create their art and a platform for them to share and present their work to the public. During their placement, the artist is encouraged to learn about the professional art world while crafting their own portfolio.
Founded by an Artist and a Lawyer, this group has the resources to educate young artists on the evolving world of digital art and the development of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in the digital art world. Upon the end of their placement, the artist will leave with a better understanding of the professional world of art and is always a part of the club.
Tickets are free and available to book on Eventbrite. The exhibition will feature live music from local musicians and performers including Princess, Master Ish and Birmingham’s Tik Tok sensation Ozy Music with food and drinks on the club. Expect stimulating conversations over a complimentary drink (or three!). This event is in association with Cherry Reds and Callaghan Tailor's.
We look forward to welcoming you to this celebration of Birmingham’s rising stars!
Article by Dana Archer.