South East London’s finest were out in their Friday Night Finery for the opening of Natty Bo’s art exhibition, a show that opened in parallel with the Open Studios of Pullens Yards, writes Michael Holland.
The exhibition was an inside and outside affair, with the majority of the artwork adorning the walls of Electric Elephant Café, and the larger work out in the yards.
Bo’s art is a subtle mix of figurative and cityscape that doesn’t clash when hung together. His use of a darker palette does not hide the joy he puts into his paintings, whether that be people dancing, applying make-up or playing an instrument, though it does add a necessary undercurrent of the black experience. Something the artist knows well.
The exhibition is a showcase of all the artist’s skills and painting styles, so without a collective theme that brings all the art together. But even with all the differing styles that ranged from the surreal to the figurative, it was obvious to see that one person was behind it all, and that was why the artwork and the audience combined to make a beautiful evening.
Natty Bo’s Art Exhibition is on at Electric Elephant Café, 186A, Crampton Street, SE17 3AE until 31st August. Admission: Free. nattybo.space
Photos: M. Holland