Both first time gallery exhibitionists, we knew we had to put on a good show! We were so excited to show Dean and Chess how wonderful their work displayed on the gallery walls and introduce them to their clients at the Artmarket Gallery. The nerves soon escaped with the warm welcome Chess and Dean were given at the gallery with so many of you showing interest in them and their pieces.
The event got off to a good start with bespoke cocktails from mixologists Barrow and Parker. A blue concoction of gin, lemon and violet liquors created Pablo Escobark by Dean Martin and a mixture of rum, banana and cinnamon created The Face of ’66 by Chess - just one of the personal touches we made.
Chess, who creates collage portraits of cultural icons using relevant newspaper cuttings displayed some amazing new work of Muhammed Ali, Mary Poppins and a striking adaptation of the Bank of England using Monopoly money. At the Artmarket Gallery, we had been in the know of Chess’s latest collection diversifying into animal portraits created with old National Geographic magazine articles and Spitfires created with 1940s sheet music so it was wonderful to see them on our walls.
A piece that proved extremely popular from Chess was her rendition of Remembrance Day - The Last Post. Limited edition prints of this piece are still available at the Artmarket Gallery. Every print sold we are donating £5 to The Royal British Legion Charity.
After the event, Chess took to Instagram to thank everyone who came to meet her: “Thank you to Artmarket Gallery for an incredible evening on Saturday! It was fantastic chatting to everyone and meeting so many people who have already purchased my work.”
At the other side of the beautiful gallery hung Dean Martin’s incredible new pieces. A whole collection of Peaky Blinders favourites, endangered animals holding guns, and of course Dean’s famous bunny rabbits, all looked remarkable in the gallery. Many of you got along well with Dean’s satirical pieces of work, such as his Rats Reporting and Pablo-Escobark. Renowned for pushing the boundaries of controversy, Dean captures his political stance and his opinions of today’s media in his artwork and was happy to express them to you on the night, too. Making some of you love his work even more!
Many of you travelled far and wide to meet these two amazing artists and had the opportunity to delve further into the understanding of your favourite pieces. With plenty of commission pieces underway, Chess and Dean were all ears when you were asking for your own personal adaptations of their work. If you could not make the event, we can still organise commissions of your favourite pieces by Chess and Dean!
“I would just like to thank the Artmarket Gallery for hosting my first major exhibition. I couldn't have asked for a bigger or better gallery to hold my first exhibition. It looked stunning: I couldn't believe it. It was a night I will never forget, a huge success. I cannot thank the Artmarket enough.” said Dean following the event.
At the Artmarket Gallery, it was amazing to host the first ever gallery event for both of these artists. Fuelled by cocktails from Barrow and Parker and gorgeous canapés from the Pipe and Glass, this evening was certainly a night to remember. We can’t wait to tell you about our next event, so stay tuned!!