Women on display
FIFTEEN women, all well-known on the island, look down from artist Olympia McEwan’s studio walls.
These energetic, colourful portraits, which include Bridge2 founder Sarah Griffith, Specsavers’ Dame Mary Perkins, the Rev. Linda La Vasseur and Tumaini’s Dr Susan Wilson, are the culmination of 12 months’ work. Called the Yellow Chair Project – Amazing Women – the paintings will be on display at the Greenhouse Gallery, Guernsey Museum, from Friday 26 January.
‘It was a concept I came up with and then pitched to the Guernsey Arts Commission,’ explained Olympia. ‘I understood that they were looking for a local artist for their January spot in the gallery and I approached them. They were agreeable and thought it was a good idea.’
Beginning in November 2016, Olympia approached each member of her list and after Christmas she began inviting them into the studio, where she has a platform on which stands a ’90s plastic yellow Ikea bucket chair.
‘They have all sat on the chair and I photographed them, sketched them and chatted to them. They then came back a second time when I needed to see them again.
‘I had about five pictures on the go at once and then rotated them.’
Originally, Olympia was going to use the same palette for all of her sitters.
‘But in the end the palette had to be right for the person. I wanted the colours to be vibrant and individual. Chatting to your subject is really important too.’
Olympia graduated with a BA Hons. in fine art from Loughborough College of Art and Design and has exhibited at the Coach House Gallery and Sausmarez Manor.
She has entered many competitions, winning the J J Fox Open Art Exhibition with Self-portrait in Blue, and last year her portrait of Victor Hugo was the Guernsey Gallery’s Artwork of the Month and was bought by Art for Guernsey founder David Ummels. Olympia donated the money to Bridge2 and Tumaini Fund, two of her sitters’ charities.
Olympia has already envisioned how the portraits will be hung in the Greenhouse Gallery.
‘I wanted all the portraits to be life-size and I will hang them all at eye level, so there is no hierarchy. Everyone is valued.
‘As I was painting the portraits, each of the sitters could see who else I was painting. All of them were really happy to be be part of it. They were absolutely brilliant to work with.’
On Thursday 8 March, to mark International Women’s Day, people will get a chance to see Yellow Chair Project – and the rest of the museum – without paying admission.
‘Islandmums.com have arranged with the museum to open for free for the day,’ said Olympia.
Some of her Amazing Women sitters have also agreed to give talks.
‘The Frossard Theatre will be occupied by students on the day, watching and listening to the guest speakers, who currently include Dame Mary Perkins, the Rev. Linda Le Vasseur and Sasha Kazantseva-Miller. There will be a morning session from 10.30am to noon and an afternoon session from 1.30-3pm.
‘There will also be some seats available for the general public too, on a first come, first served basis. My hope is that the museum can provide a screen in the Greenhouse Gallery to show a live stream of the speakers in real time.’
Yellow Chair Project – Amazing Women is open from Friday 26 January to Sunday 11 March at the Greenhouse Gallery, Guernsey Museum. Open daily from 10am to 4pm. Admission is adults £6.50, children under 18 and students (with valid student card) £2 and children under seven years, free of charge. Discovery Pass holders enjoy 12 months’ access to all four sites (Guernsey Museum, Castle Cornet, Fort Grey Shipwreck Museum and the German Naval Signals HQ) for £18 per adult, with accompanying children going free.
