TINSEL EDWARDS | THE WORK
STATEMENT
Tinsel Edwards is a London based artist, having lived and worked there since graduating Goldsmiths College in 2001.
Tinsel’s provocative paintings combine bold text and imagery. The slogans and anecdotes are an ongoing personal narrative describing the world as she sees it. Her work poses questions and offers challenging commentary on a variety of social, political and cultural observations.
‘Working with oil on canvas and acrylic on wood, my paintings explore themes such as the wealth divide, consumerism, war, the intrusions of bureaucracy and more recently the human condition and the transience of life. The commentary is from a personal viewpoint, a response to the observations I make about the world I live in. Alongside this social commentary I’m inspired by the spirit of Punk, grassroots movements, DIY culture and rebellion, these ideas continually inform my practice, which seeks to promote individual creative action and responsibility’
Her work has been described as ‘the next big thing’ by Amelia’s magazine, and ‘entertainingly derisive and unforgiving’ by Metro newspaper.
In May this year, Tinsel put on ‘Art Sale’, which was a sell out solo exhibition. Viewers were asked to value her work by bidding for the paintings in a blind auction, the show was a phenomenal success, nearly every piece sold.
Tinsel has had solo shows at The Dragon Bar and The Pure Evil Gallery in London, Steal from Work in Bristol, and Artport in Berlin. Her work has featured in group shows in the UK and Europe, including Banksy’s infamous ‘Santas Ghetto’, the high profile Polish exhibition ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ and several shows in Berlin, Hamburg, Jena and Munich. Her work was previously represented by The Stella Dore Gallery until it closed its doors in 2008.
Tinsel’s curatorial projects include ‘Punk’, a large scale group show which toured to Hamburg and ‘Here Today’, an all female exhibition co-curated with Twinkle Troughton.
Tinsel has been featured and interviewed by Metro Newspaper, Dazed and Confused, Pop, Amelia’s, Zeitgeist, Art Rebels and El Pais in Spain amongst others. Collectors of Tinsel’s work include Banksy and Bill Woodrow.
CV
EDUCATION
Ba Hons, Fine Art, Goldsmiths College 1998 – 2001
Art Foundation, Warwickshire College 1997 – 1998
FORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS
July 30th – Hackney WICKED festival, in association with Lucky Dip collective and The Outside
World Gallery of Redchurch Street.
SELECTED SOLO AND DUO EXHIBITIONS
2011
‘Art Sale – Pay what you want to Pay’
The Art Group Studios, Leamington Spa
2010
‘It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times’
Egg Space, Liverpool
2009
‘It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times’
Steal from Work, Long Arm Gallery, Bristol
2008
‘A Year of Private Views’ Artport, Kolonie Wedding, Berlin
‘A Year of Private Views’ The Pure Evil Gallery, London
2006
‘This is modern art’ This Way Up Gallery, Dragon Bar, London
‘An Urban Myth’ The Fairies exhibition, Tomtom Gallery, London
‘I hope there’s free drink tonight’ Beyond the Valley, London
2005
‘Tinsel and Twinkle’ joint show. The Rhythm Factory, London
2004
‘I Could’ve Done that’ Isonerv, London
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011
11:11, East Gallery, Brick Lane, London
Momac Pop up Show, curated by Roberta Moore and Lisa Mackenzie, Gloucester
My Big Fat Royal Wedding, Maiden Shop, Shoreditch, London
She Said, The Outside World Gallery, Shoreditch, London
Debut Contemporary Gallery, Westbourne Grove, London
2010
‘Here Today’, Outside World Gallery, Redchurch street, London
‘Multiplied’ Christies Artfair, in association with Printclub London
Das Molekular Studio Berlin, Germany
Standon Calling Festival, Standon, Hertfordshire
The Art Car Boot Fair, in association with Gabberdashery
‘The Parlour’ Clerkenwell, London
‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, exhibition touring Poland, shown at The Arsenal Gallery, Poznan, and in Elblag,
‘The Art Car Boot Fair’ Brick Lane, London
2009
Printclub Pop Up Shop, London
‘Tate the Biscuit’, Shoreditch Town Hall, London
Whos Jack group show, London
‘Being Human’, The Tank Room, London
‘Rosetta Stone’, Jena Kunsverein, Jena, Germany
‘Secret Blisters’ MC Motors, London
2008
Stella Dore Gallery, London
‘The Great Cake Escape Tearooms’, Kemistry Gallery, London
Stella Dore group show, Sebastian Guiness Gallery, Dublin
‘East meets West’, La Viande Gallery, London
2007
'AlterNATIVITY’ Studio 57, London
‘Breakpads’ The Garej, Cardiff
‘Punk, a directory of Modern Subversive Culture’
Rote Flora, Hamburg and Ada street gallery, London
‘Light Sentence’ Augsberg, Germany
2006
Banksys ‘Santas Ghetto’ London
‘A-Mart’ Ale and Porter Arts, Bradford on Avon
2005
‘Snowfold’ Fold Gallery, Cumbria
Multiplex Open Studios, The Old Hackney Cinema, London
‘All Washed Up’ Cardiff
‘Service Not Included’ ADI Gallery, London
‘Somewhere to go Show’ MOOT Gallery
2004
Oxford House, London
2003
Deptford X, London
2002
V.T.O Gallery, London
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2007 - ‘Punk, a directory of Modern Subversive Culture’
Rote Flora, Hamburg/Ada street gallery, London
2010 – ‘Here Today’, The Outside World Gallery, Redchurch Street, London
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zeitgeist Magazine – Interview, July 2011
Art Rebels – Interview, July 2011
The Rebel magazine – Interview, January 2011
EL Pais Newspaper – Interview, 21st November 2009
POP magazine – Interview, 3rd November 2009
Dazed and Confused – Interview, 26th October 2009
Amelias Magazine – Interview, 28th October 2009
Plus 1 Magazine – Exhibition review, July 2009
Metro Newspaper – Exhibition review, June 2009
Grazia – Review for Printclub Secret Blisters exhibition, June 2009
Dazed and Confused – Interview, October 2008
Augsberger Allgemaine – Exhibition review, February 2007
Venue Magazine – Feature on ‘DIY art’. December 2006
Ditched Magazine – Exhibition review, July 2006
COMMISSIONS
Absolut Vodka – Painting for Hotel interior
PRIVATE COLLECTORS
Steve Lazarides/Banksy
Bill Woodrow
STOCKISTS
Printclub London www.printclublondon.com
East End Prints www.eastendprints.co.uk
Art Rebels www.artrebels.com