FOLKLORE, MYTHS & LEGENDS marks Venetia Higgins’ fourth curated group exhibition at The Gallery at Green & Stone, following the success of her previous shows CURIOS, MEDIEVAL RELICS and ANIMA MUNDI.
Bringing together over 175 works by 36 contemporary artists, the exhibition spans painting, ceramics, textiles, woodwork, printmaking and metalwork. Inspired by a renewed interest in traditional craft, oral traditions and local histories, it explores the enduring influence of folklore, myth and legend on contemporary artistic practice.
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Amber Bardell, Annelie Solis, Bec Wonders, Bellamy Jean, Charlotte Salt, Dee Barnes, Emma Carlow, Emma Sheehy, Fiona Biddington, Florence Sweryda, Hannah Battershell, Jake Teale, Julia Albert-Recht, Kate Kirk, Kate Sampson, Kate Semple, Kerry Wint, Kirsty Elson, Lauren Drescher, Liv & Dom Cave-Sutherland, Maddy McClellan, Marion Elliot, Mike Hankin, Millie Amber, Molly Lester, Morvern Graham, Paul Bommer, Perienne Christian, Ramsay Gillies, Rosie Haine, Rosie Mclachlan, Rowan Macgregor, Ruth Dupré, Steve Camps, Tabby Booth, Venetia Higgins.
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The broad and diverse subject of folklore has blossomed across British media in recent years.
In an age where machines can generate almost anything at the click of a button, and corporations can deliver almost anything to your door in the same day, we are seeing a rapid backstepping from many exhausted members of society. Tiring of the fast-paced culture of capitalism, more and more people are turning to folklore for guidance and a sense of community.
People are inviting fairytales back into their lives, contemporary morris troupes dance across our phone screens, record numbers of attendees celebrate the solstices at heritage sites across the UK, and small communities gather in their hundreds to celebrate unique annual folk traditions.
This surge of enthusiasm for local folklore and mythology demonstrates our collective yearning for reconnection. A reconnection to our ancient customs and forgotten practices, and an understanding of our local landscapes and seasonal journeys.
Folklore, Myths & Legends is an exhibition that highlights not just our recent celebration of folk culture, but also the artists who have been creating work inspired by these themes throughout their careers.
As Venetia Higgins’ fourth curated group show, this exhibition promises to showcase a rich tapestry of contemporary craftsmanship rooted in ancient narratives, with disciplines across painting, woodwork, printmaking, ceramics, textiles and metalwork.
Showing at the Gallery at Green & Stone in Chelsea from the 6th - 17th of October 2026, this exhibition will invite viewers to step into an alternate world. The rush and bustle of London life will be left at the door, and you will be invited to trade your everyday worries for daydreams and commune with mythological narratives.
This curated collection of curiosities is both a modern preservation and reinterpretation of folklore today. This diverse group of talented artists and makers demonstrate how our stories are neither fixed nor forgotten, but continually evolving through new voices, materials and perspectives. Their work celebrates both the enduring power of traditional craftsmanship and the timeless human desire to tell stories.
Selected Press
Rooted in the relationship between craftsmanship, history and storytelling, Folklore, Myths & Legends is a group exhibition curated by artist Venetia Higgins. Across painting, ceramics, textiles, woodwork, printmaking, sculpture and metalwork by 36 contemporary makers, the show reflects the continued relevance of traditional craft and handmade objects. Symbolic animal motifs and references to local tales feature across the pieces, forming a rich and varied curation of work.