On Thursday 3rd March, Babylon Gallery launched ‘The Joy of Play’ exhibition by Kester Matine.
The whimsical, yet bold exhibition celebrates the freedom of character creation and invites visitors to embrace the joy of creating.
Kester Matine is a Cambridge based artist and illustrator, and was awarded an Arts Council England grant in order to fund his first solo exhibition, which features a mixture of fine art prints, sculpture and animation, as well as an interactive character creation station.
Kester took part in Babylon ARTS’ annual Summer Open exhibition in 2021. Chief Executive, Claire Somerville said “Kester’s work immediately caught my eye during our Summer Open exhibition 2021 – we rarely see character creation and digitally produced art, as a medium at Babylon Gallery. It’s such a fun, vibrant exhibition that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I’d highly recommend trying out Kester’s character creation station and add your character to our growing community wall!”
Kester uses a range of media and processes to create bold, colourful characters that capture different moods and emotions. His work often starts with random shapes and lines which become whimsical characters through free flowing drawing techniques.
His work encourages people to interact with his characters in different ways and to experience the joy of creating characters themselves. As part of the exhibition, there is a free, craft activity for all ages to enjoy, where visitors can have a go at making their own colourful characters to go on the Babylon Gallery wall.
Throughout the duration of the exhibition, Kester has been working on a large-scale painting in the space, to give visitors the opportunity to understand his process. Kester said “I’m delighted to showcase my works at Babylon Gallery. The response from visitors so far has been wonderful. I think everyone, at any age, appreciates being given the freedom to explore and play creatively. I’m excited for what the future holds!”
The Joy of Play exhibition is on now at Babylon Gallery until Sunday 20 March. Babylon Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm to 4pm with free entry.
Following this exhibition, the Babylon Gallery will host Ely Art Lovers Workshop and their exhibition called Cornucopia. Opening Tuesday 22nd March at midday.
Press release from Babylon ARTS
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