Alchemy Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery

The Alchemy exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery features a tryptic of artists. There work is just as comfortable being seen on the street as it is in the gallery. It’s an eclectic mix. Curated once again by the excellent OllyStudio. The artists chosen represent a variety of genres all with strong links to the urban art world.

Helen Bur, Carrie Reichardt and the three artists comprising Israels Broken Fingaz Crew are all well known to us here on Inspiring City. Their work often comes with a strong message. It is art with meaning yet displaying within completely different genres. All have been stretching the boundaries of their work for years.

Two visitors look at work by Broken Fingaz at the Alchemy Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery — Two visitors to the Saatchi view works by Unga from the Broken Fingaz Crew

Carrie Reichardt

With the work of Reichardt we are unashamed fans. We’ve featured her work and that of the Treatment Rooms Collective, with whom she often works, for years. Her mosaics are a means of storytelling. They can be angry yet accessible whilst at the same time being fun and playful. They explore deeply the issues of which she is concerned. Her consistently challenges perceptions and opinions. Undoubtedly here is a remarkable artist with a voice whose sound is only being amplified through her ever more evolving art.

Helen Bur

Imagine a fine art portrait created high on the largest walls and Helen Bur’s remarkable ability to scale becomes apparent. Many of her pieces in this exhibition are concepts she has explored previously in large scale, most recently at the Aberdeen Nuart Festival. Much of this work features a hoop or some form of interaction with a circle. Representing in some way the concept of fulfillment or completion. It can, nonetheless, be interpreted by the viewer.

Broken Fingaz Crew

Known for their figurative and slightly surreal pop art style of street art, the Broken Fingaz went through a stage of painting everywhere they possibly could, particularly in the East End of London. Now the members are separated a little more through time and distance yet all still seem to gather internationally in order to create their large scale bright murals. Comprising of three artists they are Unga, Tant and Deso. Exhibiting separately yet still together at the Saatchi. All still aligned on the theme, they have each created pieces based upon the role of the classical female nude in art history.

The Alchemy exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery was curated by OllyStudio. Joining forces with the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. It‘s the latest in a number of exhibitions promoting the work of urban artists within the basement space of the gallery. The exhibition was visited during the opening evening on 24 July 2019.