EXPERIENCING PLYMOUTH BEACHSCAPES WITH SHIVA KING
Artist Shiva King opens the doors to Experiencing Plymouth Beachscapes, a three-day artist’s residency at GROW, culminating in a two-day show. Shiva will be immersing herself in the captivating world of Plymouth beaches, seeking beauty amidst the debris of the shore, and embracing the significance of the Great British Beach Clean initiative.
EVENTS, FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
Thursday 14 September 2023, 1-3pm: Meet the Artist
Friday 15 Sepember 2023, 5-8pm: Opening Event
Sat 16 -Sun 17 September 2023, 10-2pm: Show Opening
Experiencing Plymouth Beachscapes promises a journey of artistic discovery, environmental consciousness, and coastal appreciation, exploring the intersection of beauty and destruction that lingers on our shorelines.
ABOUT SHIVA KING
Shiva King grew up in Littlehampton and spent many days walking the shoreline looking for shiny stones and odd objects washed ashore by the tide. At 17, she studied for a BTEC in General Art and Design at Northbrook College, Worthing. It was here that, as part of an art project on the sea, she first used her scalpel to whittled a gloriously, hideous figure, which she put into a bottle filled with sand. She has now been whittling for over 20 years. During that time, she obtained a Masters in Physics and a PhD in Physics and Astrophysics which spurred her on to taking her art to a new and exciting level.
To Shiva, not all pieces of driftwood contain a figure. In her hands, she feels the density, grain, and the softness of the wood. Sometimes she can see the figure in the wood straightaway, something hidden that comes alive in her hands.
Shiva also draws and paints. Whether it’s sculpture or 2D work, she feels somehow a primitive element of her soul manifests itself in the work, and naming the figures and paintings; gives them an identity, evoking the ancient practice of keeping a deity close by.
PART OF A YEAR-LONG SERIES OF RESIDENCIES AND CULTURAL EVENTS
This residency at GROW is part of a year-long series of pop-up residencies and cultural events called #DIYRESIDENCIES working with partners to experiment and explore the building, its surroundings, heritage and looks to the future in terms of sustainability, inclusion, food and drink, grassroots arts, music and culture. The top floors have been converted into studios, which are now creative home to painters, audio artists, printmakers, installation and socially engaged artists.