BROCKLEY OPEN STUDIOS x ANNA RUIZ x SIMPLE SHAPE

BROCKLEY OPEN STUDIOS
SATURDAY 2nd & SUNDAY 3rd JULY, 1pm - 6pm

This is the first year that Simple Shape has taken part in the annual Brockley Open Studios and I am absolutely delighted to be hosting an exhibition of work by printmaker Anna Ruiz. Anna and I met at the end of last year (introduced by the superb Charlie Giles), Anna is a mass of passion and infectious enthusiasm.

Anna focuses on lino cutting, a slow meditative process, to create her print works. Her new collection moves away from the symbolism of her usual work and takes on a more abstract form. She has worked with a strong palette of colours alongside striking cuts to create this body of work.

When I began Simple Shape my core reason for doing so was that working with ‘good people, making good things, made good sense’. Being able to host an exhibition during BOS feels like the perfect marriage of this ideal!

ABOUT BROCKLEY OPEN STUDIOS: This year marks the 30th anniversary of BOS and a bumper 45 artists will be taking part in the weekend long event. The aim of the event, which was founded in 1992 by local resident and artist Ruth de Monchaux, is to support local artists, foster a sense of neighbourliness and strengthen the community feeling.

Walk the streets of Brockley and find painters, illustrators, ceramicists, printmakers and glass artists. Talk to the artists and buy unique works. It’s a pretty special thing really.

DETAILS OF ALL 45 ARTISTS INVOLVED AND WHERE TO FIND THEM IS AVAILABLE HERE: BOS

Charlie asked Anna a series of questions…

ABOUT ANNA RUIZ:

Q. Tell us about your journey to becoming a print maker

​I have been working as a print designer for fashion since I graduated back in 2006. The fashion industry is a very fast paced environment where more and more often artworks are created digitally. At some point in my career I had the urge to step back and start working with my hands. Linocut is a slow process that allows for reflection. I find carving very therapeutic. I believe printmaking appeared in my life to counterbalance the actual moment we live in and the digital and social media impact.

Q. Tell us about the connection between yourself and Simple Shape

​I've been living in Brockley for the last three years and I really enjoy the area and the sense of community. Helen, the lovely owner of Simple Shape and I met through a mutual friend and collaborator Charlie from Studio Luxmore. A very good example of the willingness of locals to help the community thrive - I think there is a synergy between the three of us. We share the enthusiasm for life, art and design and the value of the handmade and locally produced.

Q. What brought you to the area?

We were relocating to London from the Catalan countryside with two kids. It was very important to us to find an area that felt family friendly, with a strong sense of community, good schools and green areas but yet well connected to the buzzing city centre and the cultural scene.

Q. Where do you draw inspiration?

My work takes inspiration from my own dreams and research into psychology, mythology and symbols. Increasingly, my artistic inquiry is focused on exploring the stages of women's psychological growth and how these stages are represented symbolically in both past civilizations and the imagination of women today. Inevitably due to my print designer background my work also feeds from a more graphic, pattern like way of visualizing.

Q. Has your style or subject matter changed over time?

I believe so. My style is always evolving, in a way it is trying to find the best solution to communicate every idea or message. I think every piece of work feeds from its predecessor and it informs the next one coming. Every piece can take a different shape and shade.

Q. What is next for you as an artist?

​I'm open to any possibilities. Until now my work has been quite figurative but as per the previous question, it is always in evolution. For BOS I have put together a body of work part of an ongoing project which is a lot more abstract than my usual line of work. I don't know where this will take me but I'm sure it will be an exciting path.