'My Life in London' is an exhibition by ActionSpace artists Ian Wornast and Thompson Hall. Having created the work after being awarded the Unlimited Emerging Artist Commission in 2017/18, the collection of artworks are set to be shown in The Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre on Wednesday 5th – Sunday 9th September 2018. 

'My Life in London' chronicles the daily experiences of the artists through their eyes and personalities. Ian Wornast creates intricate line drawings using his interest in London transport, its history and developments as his inspiration. He incorporates design and colour from TFL into complex patterns, in which he shows the connections and links throughout London. His work is instantly recognisable by its confident lines and graphic use of colour, yet he is also prolific in his experimentation. Like urban developments, he says, in his practice he likes “things to be moving forward, not going back, to keep progressing”. The drawings encourage you to look closer: at the artwork and at the cities around you.

Thompson Hall also uses bright colours and patterns but takes from his heritage to inspire his compositions. A frequent visitor of museums and galleries, Hall has a nurtured interest in art and art history, studying the free exhibitions across London intently. His work blends depictions of these institutions with African influences. After a meeting with Christopher Spring at The British Museum, Hall became influenced by African textiles and incorporated their form into his paintings. “The colours and patterns in my paintings come from there – it’s something I grew up around, wearing robes like my relatives living in West Africa” he says. Together, their work gives a refreshing and unique representation of an evolving, multi-faceted city.

ActionSpace is a London based visual arts organisation which supports artists with learning disabilities and creates innovative projects for people with learning disabilities to engage with the visual arts. Launched in the 1960s and established as an independent charity in 1984, ActionSpace’s current work with high profile cultural organisations such as the Royal Academy of Arts, Camden Arts Centre, The Museum of Everything, Outside In/Pallant House Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery has helped to establish a place for artists with learning disabilities in the contemporary arts sector.

Unlimited is an arts commissioning programme that aims to embed work by disabled artists within the UK and international cultural sectors, reach new audiences and shift perceptions of disabled people. Unlimited has been delivered by the disability-led arts organisation Shape Arts and arts-producing organization Artsadmin since 2013, and is funded from 2016-20 by Arts Council England, Arts Council of Wales, British Council and Spirit of 2012.

To learn more about ActionSpace visit their website: www.actionspace.org

'My Life in London' runs from Wednesday 5th – Sunday 9th September 2018 at the Spirit Level Gallery, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. 

For a chance to meet the artists: Ian Wornast & Thompson Hall will be on site at The Royal Festival Hall, Wednesday - Sunday 11am – 2pm.