Civilisations

The Civilization Collection

The Civilisations Exhibition at The Chapel, St Margrets House. Bethnal Green. London April 11-12th 2026

I was invited to present an exhibition of works at The Chapel, St Margret's House, Bethnal Green, London. Initally, I intended to develop 2 or 3 large works, but as I worked through these, It felt timley to present a number of works from the Civilization Collection together for the first time. Previously they had only been shown in isolation either in the wild, or as part of group shows.

The Civilization works are the third movement in an ongoing project which reflects upon colonial ideals. Starting in 2023 and looking for an empirical over a academic approach, I spent a period of time on long walks through west London. I observed how species and events in nature blend and encroach upon each others territories. Sometimes even wiping the other out. Can this be regarded as violence or is this just energy manifesting in different frequencies through diverse forms. The activities of Mosses, flocking starlings, shoaling catfish, and condensation on metal surfaces really caught my imagination. After making an initial series of animations, I began to look at other processes within Animations production pipelines. I resonated with the idea of the set or the stage. I began creating mini-worlds and micro stages. They present a form of still frame or single shot in a physical sculptural format. These mini-worlds were created using model making techniques and materials, and featured 3D resin figures.

The inhabitants of the minature worlds became the focus and. began placing them 'in the natural wild', – natural urban environments. I built a loose narrative framework around the project which was ; The Civilization suddenly appeared on Earth one day suffering from total amnesia. They can't recall how they arrived, where they came from, who they are, what they are supposed to do, nor if they should even ask such questions. A bit like us.

This stance allowed me to start incorporating improvisational techniques into the work. Whilst the underlying theme is consistent, the Civilizations exploration of the world, became a mirror to the world, our worlds. This allowed the room to engage with contemporary issues alongside more reflective historical events. Something I encountered by chance on a day, could be thought through, modelled, placed and documented within a couple of days. This production speed led to working in short series and interlated situations which are reflected through their colours. The context expands to accumulate the collection of its growing detailed features.

The Chapel is a good size, I somehow managed to squeeze around 30 unique works into the show including two new larger works, and works which had never been placed publically befour. Civilization is an ongoing collection.

Thanks to Sam, Lara and all the staff at St. Margrets House for inviting me to show this work. When you think you have a handle on London, a place like St. Margrets pops up to remind you of all hidden gems left still to unearth. It is a wonderful inclusive community serving a community, made up of many communities. They also have great tea and cake too..