We are thrilled to announce the reboot of our Virtual Artist in Residence Programme with artist Anika Manuel taking over the Contemporary Collective Instagram for the next month!
We are delighted to announce that in partnership with the Bankside Hotel, accomplished artist Anika Manuel will take over the Contemporary Collective Instagram from February - March as our next Virtual Artist in Residence.
In efforts to circulate positivity and new digital opportunities to artists during these difficult times, Anika will provide viewers with a virtual residency experience as she documents her practice directly from home. The theme of Anika's residency is "Musicians in Isolation", inspired by iconic musicians who have addressed feelings of loneliness and isolation within their work.
From 8th February to 12th March, Anika will document the creation of a brand new series inspired by this theme, sharing her process through a virtual lens. With an aim of painting up to 10 acrylic portraits to create a collection of 'lonely' musicians, Anika plans to incorporate daily updates on the series, an interview, time lapse videos and videos of the artwork in her studio, and a competition giveaway of a David Bowie print. The new series will be available for sale exclusively on DegreeArt.com.
More on her virtual residency:
The past year and the circumstances we have all had to endure due to the Coronavirus pandemic have brought us to a place where we now have a lot of time to consider how to adapt to a less sociable existence, how to keep our spirits up on a day to day basis and in many cases what it means to be alone. Creativity can be a lonely art, but there is something about solitude that can be incredibly powerful. Being forced to stay home and face your own inner demons can lead to a state of reduced social inhibition and increased freedom. With this in mind, and after months of painting in my home studio in Cornwall with the comfort of music to keep me company, I’ve thought a lot about musicians who have addressed feelings of loneliness and isolation within their work. Subconsciously, I seem to have John Lennon’s song ‘Isolation’ on repeat and this has led to the starting point of the series.
I aim to paint approximately 10 acrylic portraits over the course of the residency (ideally 5 female musicians and 5 male for equal representation) so that ultimately I will create a collection of ‘lonely’ musicians, but the silver lining of this will be that we are all together in this feeling too. I’ve started with John Lennon and Amy Winehouse (Wake up Alone-‘it’s ok in the day I’m staying busy...run around just so I don’t have to think about thinking’ we can all relate!) and as the series progresses I hope to paint contemporary musicians such as Arlo Parks and Michael Kiwanuka. This series will undoubtedly continue even after the completion of the month.
VISIT THE VIRTUAL RESIDENCY HERE
