PICTURE THIS…  
An exhibition of works on paper by artists who identify as being dyslexic
Curated by Kim Thornton
 
For the first time Bell House in Dulwich will open its doors to the public to take part in the Dulwich Festival Artists’ Open House showing work by artists who indentify as being dyslexic.  Referencing the history of the house, commissioned in 1767 by Thomas Wright a poor warehouse worker who started his own lucrative publishing business, the works from Lucy Bainbridge, Sophie Eade, Jane Higginbottom, Alice Irwin, Valeriya N-Georg and Lucy Soni will be on paper.

Both Lucy Soni and Alice Irwin throw off the constraints of the structured world drawing on children’s play and everyday chance in their work.  In contrast, Valeriya N-Georg turns to quantum physics to investigate the boundaries between the human body and the inner self. 

Lucy Bainbridge, Jane Higginbottom and Sophie Eade are all creating their own realities through their study of the environment they live in.  Lucy Bainbridge tries to pause time with her softened city prints whilst Sophie Eade eradicates urbanity and words from the magazine pages that purport to extol rural life.  Jane Higginbottom studies the environment and measures time through nature.
 
Bell House will also host an artist in residence in a doll’s house, The Sophie Croxton Doll House Gallery.  The project is conceived and curated by Sophie Eade and Lucy Soni. who have awarded the Picture This… residency to painter Clare Price.
 
The origin of the word ‘dyslexia’ comes from the German dys- ‘difficult’ and the Greek word lexis ‘speech’.  Although this difficulty with words that affects reading, spelling and writing, defines the dyslexic learning process, dyslexia is really about information processing.  People with dyslexia have a different way of thinking, often thinking in pictures rather words.  As a result they frequently have strong visual and creative skills.
 
This collection of paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, interventions and installations illustrate how a different way of thinking can enrich our lives.
 
Bell House is an educational centre that offers support outside the mainstream school curriculum, lifelong learning, exhibitions, talks and musical events including support for dyslexia and other specific learning differences. 

www.bellhouse.co.uk