Peachy 'n' Keen started as a blog in 2013 by two art students to showcase female artists in a male-dominated industry. It evolved into an art collective that organized exhibitions across the UK and internationally, featuring artists, photographers, and writers exploring themes like motherhood and the female form. Their most recent exhibition featured a feminist pin-up calendar funded by a Kickstarter campaign. After taking a hiatus in 2015 to pursue other opportunities, the collective wants to relaunch Peachy to incite discussion on gender inequality and other social issues through art and social media. Peachy now aims to be an intersectional feminist platform that challenges social constructs working against inclusivity and equality through commentary, collaboration, and change
In conjunction with our current exhibition, An Aesthetics of Slowness curated by Chuơng-Đài Võ, on February 15 at 2 pm, Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs is pleased to present: The Instability of Perception A Panel Discussion Moderated by Exhibition Curator Chuơng-Đài Võ with Artists Ashley Billingsley and Paul Qaysi and Scholar Gabrielle Starr
The exhibition An Aesthetics of Slowness embraces the limits of perception in apprehending physical experience. In their opacity and seeming transparency, the projects do not offer easily discernible representations, but instead focus our perception on the process of looking and seeing. This panel brings together two of the artists in the exhibition and a researcher of aesthetics and neuroscience to speak about their approaches to the question of perception. Ashley Billingsley will talk about her representations of landscape as a vehicle for exploring the inadequacy of the senses in deciphering direct experience. Paul Qaysi will discuss his examination of the invisible structures of perception and framing that shape notions of truth and reality about war, death and civilian casualties. Gabrielle Starr will discuss her research on how the brain responds to aesthetic stimulation.
In conjunction with our current exhibition, An Aesthetics of Slowness curated by Chuơng-Đài Võ, on February 15 at 2 pm, Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs is pleased to present: The Instability of Perception A Panel Discussion Moderated by Exhibition Curator Chuơng-Đài Võ with Artists Ashley Billingsley and Paul Qaysi and Scholar Gabrielle Starr
The exhibition An Aesthetics of Slowness embraces the limits of perception in apprehending physical experience. In their opacity and seeming transparency, the projects do not offer easily discernible representations, but instead focus our perception on the process of looking and seeing. This panel brings together two of the artists in the exhibition and a researcher of aesthetics and neuroscience to speak about their approaches to the question of perception. Ashley Billingsley will talk about her representations of landscape as a vehicle for exploring the inadequacy of the senses in deciphering direct experience. Paul Qaysi will discuss his examination of the invisible structures of perception and framing that shape notions of truth and reality about war, death and civilian casualties. Gabrielle Starr will discuss her research on how the brain responds to aesthetic stimulation.
The summer arts camp provided a structured space for children to develop their creativity, knowledge, and critical thinking skills through the creation of visual and theatre arts. The multi-arts based curriculum was rooted in a respect for community, collaboration, and cooperation.
Photography project in which girls and young women who have been rescued from sexual slavery and forced labor are taught about the importance of images as a way of expressing oneself, as well as several techniques and styles of photography. At the end of the workshop, participants will collaborate with professional photographers in order to portray the feelings, ideas, or stories that the young women have developed during the workshop.
1. WO|MANIFESTO
Peachy 'n' Keen started as a blog in 2013 by Rhiannon Adams and Eleni Mettyear, who, after meeting
at art school, decided to create a space where they could showcase the work of female artists in a
male-dominated industry. From then on the girl gang only grew; evolving into an art collective that put
on exhibitions traversing the country, showcasing artists, photographers, writers and women all over
the world who had something to show.
The exhibitions ranged in their themes: our Brighton show showcased young female talent; in Bristol
we collaborated with Unveil’d for a ‘Ladies & Gentlemen’ exhibition; and in London we had two shows
that explored the idea of ‘Motherhood’ and the female form. Our most recent exhibition at Doomed
Gallery in Dalston showcased our feminist pin-up calendar featuring artists from around the world. The
calendar was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Each of our exhibitions have attracted over
200 visitors each, resulting in international press coverage.
The girls decided to take a small hiatus in 2015 to focus on other things. Rhiannon studied for a year at
Berkeley in California whilst Eleni took an artist residency in Spain. This year was crucial to the
relaunch: we want Peachy to incite discussion and debate, negotiate difficult political lines, and give a
platform to some of the most important things that are going on throughout the world. To do this,
Peachy will now act as a stage to tackle gender inequality not just following trends.
Although Peachy ‘n’ Keen started as a platform to embolden female artists, it is now much more than
that. Peachy ‘n’ Keen is a feminist collective and we understand feminism to be inherently linked to
other inequalities: it is the fight against disparity in all areas of society and the world. Our feminism is
intersectional, inclusive and equal. This means we now address a plethora of social issues from an
inclusive and constructive standpoint, to challenge the status quo. We aim to explore significant and
poignant issues through art, photography, written word, and the impactful medium of social media.
Frustrated by the conspicuous division between the male- and female-oriented sections of magazine
stores, striped in their pink and blue, Peachy aims to blur this line.
2. P e a c h y h a s e v o l v e d . I t ' s a p l a t f o r m f o r a l l o f u s t o c o m m e n t ,
c o l l a b o r a t e , a n d u l t i m a t e l y c h a n g e t h e s o c i a l c o n s t r u c t s
t h a t w o r k a g a i n s t u s .