The exhibition is open to visitors this week only, with all profits from sales of miniature artwork donated to charity.
Visitors can enjoy local artwork free of charge this week as the Islington Art Society Autumn Exhibition opened on Tuesday.
The exhibition will run until 17 November at Espacio Gallery on Bethnal Green Road.
It showcases 120 paintings, prints, ceramics and sculptures from 50 local artists, with all sales of miniature work donated to the homelessness charity Crisis UK.
While some artwork captured the beauty of the local environment, others were more personal. Admed Jabir, a former art journalist from Sudan, exhibited his oil painting depicting a Sudanese woman in the traditional ‘thobe’ dress.
Jabir said: “There is a war in Sudan, and women and children are affected by the war more… [Sudanese women] present themselves to the world by wearing the thobe. That’s my idea.”
Chris Cockburn, who has been a member since the 1990s and specialises in lino printing, loves the society as he can meet artists “in the same boat”.
Chair of Islington Art Society, Ann Kozlowski-Hunt, agrees that it provides a support network for local artists to present their work and share ideas with each other.
She said: “We don’t actually get anything from businesses. We’re all volunteers.”
Jane and Jimie visited the exhibition to support their watercolour teacher. They said local art exhibitions are crucial for retired people like them, as they allow people to appreciate their neighbourhood and make friends through art.
Islington Art Society, founded in 1941, holds exhibitions twice a year, as well as other events like monthly meetings and park sketching.
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