New Work Fund: Artist Profiles and Artwork

Last year we announced the New Work Fund to support 5 Black artists to create new print work. The five awardees are Indiana Kathleen Lawrence, Nadina Ali, Victoria Opomu, Yolande Mutale and Laina Deene. Each artist was awarded £200, technician support to create a 2-colour A4 poster/zine and 30 copies of the poster. Find out more about the artists and the fantastic work they created below.

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Indiana Kathleen Lawrence

Birth Zine (folded/unfolded)

‘I am a multidisciplinary maker and sticker collector with a strong focus on printmaking. I make a lot of works, often with a focus on DIY thinking which take the form of publications, textiles, photos, quilts, workshops and stickers. I like to make things with other people in mind, things that are often not too serious (but sometimes serious) and things that are accessible and understandable. I love printed matter in all forms.’ - Indiana

For the New Work Fund, Indiana used her design skills to produce a small zine filled with useful information, history, imagery and stories about birth to empower not just those who are pregnant but everyone within communities in which babies are born (ie everyone) with a focus on black women and non-binary people. instagram.com/indlawrence

Nadina Ali

‘I’m a self-taught graphic designer from Marseille, France and I’m currently based in London UK. I design colourful graphics with a focus on typography. I use my work as a medium to address social issues and spread joy..’ - Nadina 

For the New Work Fund, Nadina produced this electric and hopeful slogan poster using yellow and fluorescent pink ink. The artwork was created as an antidote to the grim and gloomy days of the Winter months and to keep hopeful for better days to come. ‘ I wanted this piece to convey warmth and optimism which is why I went for bright yellow and fluorescent pink. I love how Risograph printing allows you to print colours so much brighter than digital printing would. It was a great experiment to see my digital artwork become a super vibrant print.’ https://www.instagram.com/nadinadidthis/

Victoria Opomu

‘My art practice is using unconventional and innovative methods to create abstract prints and 3D products, being Jewellery/accessories for the home. I experiment with different materials to produce Art prints, from Polystyrene, to reclaimed laser cut parts, Plywood, Mountboard and reclaimed materials I have around. At the moment I'm using a lot of laser cut Plywood and finding ways to add texture to it, combining Monotype textures to produce Art Prints.’ - Victoria 

For the New Work Fund, Victoria adapted her existing printmaking process for Riso by creating separate layers with different tones and textures to create this energetic print. https://www.vatelierstudio.co.uk/  

Yolande Mutale

‘I am an illustrator and printmaker from Brighton, UK. I graduated from Central Saint Martins with a BA in Graphic Communication Design (2019). My work often combines a social political aspect within a visual narrative.  Bright colours and humour are used as a means to engage and communicate. Printmaking being a medium I often use to visualise the themes I choose to explore. Through my work I hope to spark conversation by using the accessible format of hand drawn illustration.’ -Yolande 

For the New Work Fund, Yolande created a vibrant illustrated poster with hand drawn text capturing the process of getting your hair done as a black woman. ‘Getting your hair done as a black women is almost like a ritual. The smells, the sounds and the chats. I want to highlight this familiar process through a simple but bright and comedic piece of work. The piece will be something to make you smile and take you back. The work is centred on me box braiding my sister’s hair.’  https://yolandemutale.com/

Laina Deene

‘In my work, I like to use memory and feeling to guide my illustrations and paintings. I also use location drawing as a tool to capture landscapes of places that have meaning to me. Colour is also a big part of my practice and at the moment I’m focusing on experimenting with using colour and texture to create different outcomes!’ -Laina 

For the New Work Fund, Laina used Risograph printing to play around with the layering of two colours to see how certain textures can be produced in this way. Having mainly used gouache in her work- she was really interested to see how the brushstrokes translated in this way of printing. ‘I have made a layered risograph print of a memory painting of a walk I did recently at Sussex downs. The atmosphere was calm and earthy. This moment particularly sticks to my mind because of how the light was cast - it was the afternoon however it was very moody and ethereal, making the sun covered areas seem brighter than usual.’ https://www.instagram.com/lainadeene

The New Work Fund 2020 was supported through an Emergency Grant from Arts Council England