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Jess Blandford // Tender

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1
Date: 
Saturday, 19 July 2025 to Sunday, 21 September 2025
Opening: 
Friday, 18 July 2025 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Abstract painter and winner of Southwark Park Galleries’ 2024 Annual Open Jess Blandford presents a series of small, intimate works alongside a new site-specific installation, where unruly paintings spill onto the gallery wall. Using colour, erasure and layered marks, Blandford reflects on the labour of care to explore the complex physical, mental and emotional work involved in family life, drawing upon her own experience of care-giving.

Blandford was selected by Southwark Park Galleries alumni artists Joy Labinjo and Paul Purgas as the winner of our 40th Annual Open in 2024 — London’s longest-running democratic exhibition and a rare opportunity for all artists at any stage of their career to submit work without a selection criteria.

This exhibition is generously supported by Arts Council England and Breckman & Company.

Artist Bio

Jess Blandford (b. 1973) is a British artist living and working in South East London. Her practice is focused on abstract drawing and painting, having studied painting at Camberwell School of Art and printmaking at the Royal College of Art. Preoccupied with familial roles, flawed structures and problematic expectations, her work is concerned with finding ways to make apparent the invisible, unpaid labour that holds family life together. She is interested in celebrating the small, mundane, messy, complex, repetitive acts that are the foundations of domestic life.

She is a founding member of FOLD Art Collective, whose mission is to generously give support, space and voice to the work of midlife women artists who are often overlooked in contemporary culture. She was selected for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in 2023 and 2024 and has exhibited at Morley Gallery, APT Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery and Safehouse Peckham.
 

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02072371230
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Buildings

  • Lake Galley is fully wheelchair accessible.
  • Dilston Gallery parish room and nave is wheelchair accessible, unfortunately due to the restrictions of  Grade II listed building the altar in the nave of Dilston is not wheelchair accessible and is access via two steps.
  • Accessible, gender neutral toilets are available at both galleries.
  • Baby change facilities are installed in all toilets.
  • Dogs on leads are welcome and water is available for them.

Exhibitions

  • All exhibitions are free of charge.
  • Information about current exhibitions and events is available in large print at the gallery desk.
  • Chairs are available to borrow in the exhibition spaces by asking a member of staff.
  • If you need assistance with your visit please contact us with your query and we will do everything to make sure you have a positive experience.

ADDRESS
Southwark Park Galleries // Lake Gallery
1 Park Approach
Southwark Park
London SE16 2UA
what3words address: ///friend.sharp.tides

 


 

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Other events from Southwark Park Galleries

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Jess Blandford // Tender
07/19/2025 to 09/21/2025
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You Make Me Feel // curated by A—Z (Anne Duffau)
04/04/2025 to 06/29/2025
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Paul Purgas // In the Temple of the Earth
07/06/2024 to 09/15/2024

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