Aug 26, 2012

The Pictorem Gallery

Now there has been a big change on the Walthamstow landscape in recent years, especially since the Art Trail started. So many new artistic spaces have moved in to E17 to accommodate the growing creative community that has flourished, but the Pictorem Gallery has been established in Walthamstow for over 30 years. Currently run by Avtar and Surinder, it's a real quality, experienced and welcoming family business.


It was started by Avtar’s father in the late 70’s, he purchased what was then a gift shop and using his experience of being an art teacher and picture framer back in Kenya he transformed it into the Pictorem Gallery. But as Avtar was telling me, during the 80’s and even 90’s there was no creative community thriving in Walthamstow. The business’ clientele was mostly commercial and artists from other parts of London. But since the Art Trail kicked off 8 years ago, more and more local creative’s have became part of the gallery, as customers and as exhibiting artists. It is a really unique and insightful perspective that Avtar and Surinder have on the development and boom of the artistic community in Walthamstow, because they have been established for so long, it is worth popping in even just for this insight.

In fact the Pictorem Gallery is such a popular place for artists that during the trail every inch of wall space will be covered in artwork, not one free space. They are hosting so much, from so many artists they had to even turn a few people away because there is just no more space! All in all, there are 11 different and completely diverse exhibitions from 11 completely different artists all up alongside each other so it really is an inessential place to check out for a real cross section of local art in Walthamstow. The exhibition that will be on are:

Eight diamond shaped canvases telling a history of her life as an Elizabethan. You can find out details about the exhibition and her method here

An established artist who will also be exhibiting in The Victoria, will have up limited edition prints up.

Mixed Media ‘illustrated alphabets for two small children’.

Wonderful and imaginative paintings by artist Alison Brown covering all sorts of mediums and influenced by different artists. All the profits from sales of her work will be going to the local charity Thuso, which helps orphans with education and sustenance in South Africa.

From Walthamstow landscapes to landscapes of the Scottish Highlands in Sarah Shevlin’s isolated and delicate paintings.

Bright and rich abstract paintings capturing the seasons by first time ‘trailer’ CECILE.

An exhibition on the influential or on the fringe art form of Graffiti by photographer David Barette.

Really textured and expressive paintings of collage and oil paint.

An incredibly talented photorealist pencil artist, Kevin Okafor work of precise detail will be on display.

Alan McGrath will be capturing and elevating stills of reality into a cinematic scope through his paintings.

A mixed bag of work - Abstraction, Graphic Art and Photography

Oh and on the last Sunday (16th), there will be a wonderful henna artist waiting for your hand to work on and all proceeds from the henna will be going to Cancer Research as well as any sale of Alison Brown’s work that day.

With such a huge line up of exhibits, art poised to completely cover the wall, make sure to swing by the Pictorem on your trail travels!


383 Hoe Street, E17 9AP

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