Gallery at Waterloo opens after major renovation

Morley Gallery reopened this week after extensive upgrade works with Figuratively Speaking, an exciting new exhibition celebrating the work of 2019-21 Zsuzsi Roboz Art Scholars, Helen Johannessen and Jenny Bell.

The exhibition features a range of curated porcelain sculptures, screen prints, fabric, paint and plaster artworks.

Through the challenges of lockdowns and restrictions, these two artists have used their time at Morley to improve their skills, develop new ones and deepen their understanding of why and how they create their artworks. The exhibition includes test pieces and experiments to show how Helen and Jenny have used their time during this extended two-year scholarship, alongside finished artworks made for this exhibition.

About the Zsuzsi Roboz Scholarship

The Zsuzsi Roboz Scholarship was established in 2015 in partnership with the Alfred Teddy Smith and Zsuzsi Roboz Art Trust, as a fantastic opportunity for emerging artists to develop their creative vision and skills under the guidance of staff from Morley’s School of Visual and Digital Arts.

About the Morley Gallery

Morley Gallery is a free, public gallery based in Central London and established in 1969. It is part of Morley College London, a leading centre for adult education.

During 2020 and 2021, the Gallery received a £1m+ upgrade, focused on modernising the facilities and adding a basement gallery to the existing ground floor space.

More information at www.morleygallery.com

About the artists 

Jenny Bell is a multimedia artist with a background in Print. Since completing an MA Visual Arts: Printmaking in 2010, at Camberwell College of Art, she has worked as a commercial printmaker, specialising in Screen print.

Exploring the boundaries of print, the scholarship has allowed Jenny to expand her obsession with the humble photocopier. Which allowed her to engage deeper with textiles media and experimental still & moving image with an aim to challenge her personal perception of the figurative surface. The works presented are both bold in colour and subtle in suggestion that is ambiguously captivating.

Helen Johannessen has worked as an industrial ceramicist since 1995, and has challenged her skills and practice since her Masters at the Royal College of Art 2017. Working with porcelain clay for the first time in 2015, the Zsuzsi Roboz Scholarship has allowed her the time to deepen how she pushes the qualities of this lively material.

Using plaster, paint and photography alongside parian porcelain, Helen’s artworks are physically engaging as well as beautiful, with her use of light, colour and texture.