30th May – 5th July 2025
Redcar Palace is delighted to present ‘In The Studio 2’ an approach to rethinking the presentation of solo exhibitions, through displaying works in progress, testing out new ideas, interchangeable installations and opportunities to observe the artist working. ‘In The Studio 2’ will open on Friday 30th May with exhibitions by Mali Redford-Coyte, Charles O’Connor and Numi Solomons.
The front spaces feature Redcar based artist Mali Redford-Coyte. The work will begin by primarily featuring life drawing pieces made throughout the course of Mali’s attendance at the classes hosted in our space every Thursday. Mali’s work aims to capture human connection through portraiture and exploring the human form, through simple materials such as charcoal and newspaper. Their practice is heavily influenced by the act of drawing, the movement it captures, the repetitive movements and ‘stimming’ it provides for Mali’s wellbeing and ultimately their work.
Creating, however this may situate itself has become a vital aspect for Mali’s existence, and their lack of home studio space has ultimately had an impact on the possibility of growth and understanding their wider practice. Through the display of work and utilising being ‘In the Studio’, Mali will be making within the space as well as investigating new forms of work, through photography and sculpture, preferring spontaneous mediums with instinctive approaches. Coming to realise the importance of space and how it can be vital to developing themes and practices for Mali.
The back gallery space presents a two person exhibition by Numi Solomons and Charles O’Connor which is a testament to 40 years of creative collaboration where their own distinct work intermingles with objects made together and where conversations have sparked ideas in one another’s work. This has been re-energised recently by building a new studio in their garden in Sleights, near Whitby, where they are able to work together. Numi gained international recognition during the 1980s and 90s for her cutting edge knitwear designs. More recently she has combined her background in textiles with an exploration of the ceramic medium and has created a new modular wall piece for the exhibition which will grow and change over the life of the show.
Charles studied fine art and Middlesborough College of Art before going on to found the influential Celtic rock group Horslips. His background as an artist and designer has never been far from the surface whether creating designs for knitwear with Numi or album sleeve art for the band. He also gained recognition for his re-interpretation of the mask form, winning Maskmaker of the Year which led to a solo exhibition at the South Bank Centre in London. A series of new paintings and sculptures have been created for this show as a response to unseen past drawings and ideas, and these new pieces sit alongside a rich body of mixed media work.