The Show Windows - Nov - Coventry in the World

For November 2021, we have five commissioned artists for The Show Windows with the theme of Coventry in the World.

The Show Windows on display currently:

Emergence by Sameer Kulavoor, Millington's Travel, 2 Market Way, Coventry CV1 1DL

in friendly chat with birds or beasts by Vishwa Shroff, Apps Living 28-34 Corporation Street, Coventry CV1 1GF

COSMIC FUTURE by Evans Mbugua, Nationwide, 62-64 Broadgate, Coventry CV1 1NF & Transport Museum, Millennium Place, Coventry CV1 1JD

Archived:

Dream Hawaii by Hyunjeong Lim, Primark, 6 Cross Cheaping, Coventry CV1 1HG

We come in Peace by Yermine Richardson, New Look, 91-101 Lower Precinct, Coventry CV1 1DE

Emergence by Sameer Kulavoor

This hopeful window by Mumbai based artist, Sameer, celebrates Coventry and it’s revival after the Second World War bombing. This optimistic series of semi-representational artworks literally sees the spirit of the city popping up and emerging from the flat paper surface, much like the city itself since 1940 to now - Coventry being the city of reinvention, resurrection and evolution. This work is exhibited upon glowing brass to show us how Coventry is illuminated by its foundations, a Phoenix from the flames, lit up by those who built it and could see its (creative) potential.

Sameer also invites us to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of the city, its people, community and its architecture (from Tudors to the Butalists to now) and how everything has come together this year, 2021 for Coventry’s UK City of Culture year, to shape the city for tomorrow.

in friendly chat with birds or beasts by Vishwa Shroff

Artist Vishwa Shroff has lived in many places, from London to Tokyo to Mumbai. This window installation takes us on the same trip around the world via the windows of the international homes she has lived in and the food she’s eaten within them. Inspired by classic Household Guides produced in the 1800s for distribution around the Colonies, the table arrangements follow the prescribed or instructed ritual style of these handbooks with a nod to how these have not particularly changed in the past three decades.

Created in Vishwa’s classic drawn style we catch moments of ‘home life’ through the windows, what meals the artist may have eaten, how many people she cooked for or shared those moments with and how we can celebrate being with one another again post-lockdown sharing food, moments and memories in our own homes in Coventry and all over the world.

COSMIC FUTURE by Evans Mbugua

Paris based, Kenyan artist, Evans Mbugua is showing here a piece from his series ‘Back to the Future.’ This work celebrates Evans’ relationship with his niece and nephews, especially showcasing their energy and life in the portraits, whilst questioning our generation’s fight to preserve our environment in the light of climate change. 

Although the artist remains optimistic, as is seen through this dynamic piece with clear nods to his heritage through the patterns and colours used, we are left to consider the young person presented and their quality of life as we continue to, in the artists words, ‘hyper-consume’ and limit the future for the next generation. This piece invites us to think about (Coventry in) the World today and tomorrow and our impacts upon it.

We come in Peace by Yermine Richardson

Caribbean artist currently based inBarcelona, Yermine, invites us to go on a journey through this installation. This window represents a portal to a futuristic galaxy featuring colourful figures that represent and celebrate our diverse global community.  The light, colour, texture and masked figures are true to the artist's work and a real 3D realistion of his galaxy.

It is the artist's duty, so Yermine believes, to reaffirm a sense of joy and optimism, something that has somehow been lost in our day to day due to the pandemic. This window invites audiences to see the richness of the world's culture, embrace our own identity as contributing to this richness, and finally celebrate this diversity within our local community and around the world.

Dream Hawaiiby Hyunjeong Lim

This large scale painting by Korean artist, Hyunjeong, was inspired by her last trip, right before the pandemic, to Hawaii. The images painted are part from memory, part from photographs but capture a freedom and sense of naivity to what came next - a global lockdown.

Visiting Hawaii taught the artist the ‘Aloha Spirit’, a Hawaiian culture that stands for love, compassion and kindness to each other. Something that Hyunjoeng wants to evoke within this work and encourage audiences to reflect upon. She also wants audiences to be inspired by this painting and its sense of hope and joy, with this portal to Hawaii inviting us all to dream of our own paradises in Coventry and beyond.