Molly Burrows – HBAED Artist in Residence Exhibition: ‘Roots, Realms and Reveries’
Over the past year, we’ve been incredibly lucky to have artist Molly Burrows working in our department as Artist in Residence.
Molly has brought not just her professional practice but also her energy, humour and generosity into every corner of the Art department.
From co-creating ceramics and drawings with students to sharing insights into life as a working artist, her presence has raised standards across the board and opened up what is possible for our students.
At Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich, we believe that Art is more than a subject. It is a space where ideas, identities and futures are shaped. Having Molly working day-to-day in the department has brought that belief to life. It has been a chance for students to learn how professional Art is made, exhibited and spoken about, and to be active participants in that process.
The impact has been huge: increased engagement, ambitious outcomes, and a growing sense that their creative futures are within reach.
Roots, Realms and Reveries exhibition
“The last year of working in the art department at Harris has been building up to my show that just opened, titled Roots, Realms and Reveries,” says Molly. “The show, a duo-show with artist Woo Jin Joo, explores themes of transformation, myth-making and story-telling.
“Creating alongside the students meant I got to share the entire process of working towards a show with them. I created my ceramic tiles with them in Tuesday lunchtime club. We talked about making BIG pieces of art like murals and buildings, and we broke down why collage is so great for creating easy, funny and effective artworks.
“When I got my studio photos taken, we got an amazing talk from the photographer on his practice, and they got their own professional photographs taken too! Hopefully we will visit the show as a group soon.”
Alongside the paintings and ceramics at the show, Molly has also created an accessible guide of the work. It’s a small booklet that guides people around the exhibition, with images, engaging facts and top tips from Molly and the other artist.
“Some of the students at Harris have already seen these booklets I make, as we visited New Contemporaries (my last show) in March,” added Molly. “It has been great to see the booklets in use by people of all ages.”
We are so proud to celebrate Molly’s success and even more proud that our students have been part of the journey.
Joseph Murray, Subject Leader for Art
Molly Burrows’ exhibition Roots, Realms and Reveries is open at ai. gallery, 1a Tenter Ground, Shoreditch, London, E1 7NH until July 5th. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 12 to 5pm. Find out more.
