Artist Hannah Surtees, who together with husband Mark won this year’s major prize at Sculpture at Scenic World, is set to debut a solo exhibition at Platform Gallery from June 29.
Prior to her win at Scenic World and creating the body of work for this exhibition, Surtees had experienced a long period of creative block. This exhibition, titled The Unexpected In-Between, is the result of her working through those blocks and rediscovering the playful side of her creativity.
“A few years ago, I was struggling to rediscover my own style, after years of producing commercial work for other people. I was blocked, creatively,” she said.
“I turned to the act of doodling, which I found very cathartic and freeing for my creative process, because I didn’t have to worry about the end result, just being present in the moment.”
This doodling led to further experimenting, which in turn led to the creation of new sculptures, paintings and prints which are the subject of this exhibition.
Surtees will be sharing the processes she used to unblock her own creativity in a workshop on the opening weekend of her exhibition.
“What I love about Hannah’s work is its serendipitous nature,” said Platform Gallery curator, Kelly Heylen. “She is showing us that there is no one way to create art – whether it’s doodles in a sketchbook or an award-winning sculpture.
“This exhibition showcases Hannah’s multi-disciplinary approach, and serves as an inspiration to artists everywhere.”
Said Surtees: “Everyone has creativity within them. What I have discovered through this process is that the good stuff can sometimes be hiding unexpectedly in the space in-between. If you keep looking hard enough, you’ll find it eventually.”
The Unexpected In-Between opens at Platform Gallery at 5.30pm on Friday, June 29, with Surtees’ unblocking creativity workshop at noon on Sunday, July 1. Workshop bookings at www.platformgallery.co.