Universal Expressions

Hackney Wick has long been celebrated for its history of creative development and artistic exploration. The areas varied demographics have continually come together to find commonalities in how we approach the crises of today. Concerns of poverty, the cost of living, the environment, aggressive urban development, and the loss of artist studios are conflated into shared understandings and responsibilities.

The exhibition features a select group of painters and photographers who, through their own mediums, observe and reflect their shared realities and complexities of Hackney Wick. Their work amplifies the voices of those living with the urban area, highlighting how the community interacts with the built environment around them, the use of green and open spaces, and how we navigate constant redevelopment and regeneration.

By recognising the creative commonalities within these communities, the exhibition encourages us to celebrate the diversity and complexity of urban life, whilst highlighting the challenges and opportunities that exist within these spaces.