Category Archives: Celebrities

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the Royal College of Art

Pandemonia and fashion student at the Royal College of Art Artist’s Talk.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk, presented by fashion designer and tutor Flora McLean, took place at the Royal College of Art on 14 November 2013.   It provided insights into the story of Pandemonia character and its rise to fame over the past several years.

Dressed in a pink with brown latex dress, completed with a whirl of yellow inflatable hair, white gloves, brown purse, high heels and dark glasses, the artist shared with students an engaging story of success of Pandemonia character.

 

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the RCA in Kensington Gore.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

“It is great pleasure to be here”, – started Pandemonia, “because many years ago when I applied for MA Printmaking, the Royal College lost my portfolio.  I actually had to do my interview without my work and I didn’t get in.  My portfolio turned up at Chelsea instead.  This is what could happen to you”, – concluded Pandemonia to giggles in the auditorium.

 

“When I did my Fine Art Degree”, – continued Pandemonia,  “I did printmaking.  At the time printmaking was seen as a kind of a third rate art, third rate to painting and sculpture, like it wasn’t really fine art.  But I thought that printmaking was the most modern and most powerful of the mediums”.

 

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the RCA in Kensington Gore.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Pandemonia was interested in advertising, in things like archetypes, patterns of thoughts and ideas, and especially images of an exotic woman.

Working on the image of an exotic woman, Pandemonia looked at the evolution of human body and female form in particular, from classical ancient cultures till nowadays. “Bodies are objectified these days. It is society that is imposing on the body, it is not the other way around,” – said Pandemonia.

The artist worked on the ideal body shape in order to bring about a kind of a photoshopped image into real life.

In 2000 the ideas came together.  As unlikely as it may seem Pandemonia used Venus and Cupid painting by Lucas Cranach as a prototype of Pandemonia and inflatable dog Snowy, that is accompanying its owner on every occasion.  According to Pandemonia, Snowy is a great thing to have.  Dogs always break the ice. Everybody likes Snowy. “It is very useful, it is like to have a device,” – said the artist.

 

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the RCA in London.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Pandemonia is very much into new media.  It helps the artist to create his own narrative. Pandemonia set up a blog, focusing on fame, luxury and celebrity. Working in a gallery does not bring the same result to a performance artist as being a walking art work.

“I tried different locations. Different locations mean very, very different things, ” – continued the artist.  “Pandemonia doesn’t really work in a club environment.  It is sort of carnivalesque, but it works in isolation. At a carnival everybody is dressed mannerial, but it is like a safe box. Pandemonia doesn’t work this way, it is separate.” Pandemonia image is not outlandish in nature, it is a prototype, the way it was designed by the artist.

You can come across Pandemonia at fashion shows, art evenings. The very first fashion show Pandemonia went to, she was seated at a front row.  And it is always the case.

 

Pandemonia and Eugenie Absalom at the RCA Lecture Theatre in South Kensington.

 

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk took place in Lecture Theatre 1 of the Darwin building in Kensington Gore, South Kensington and was attended by art and fashion students.

Visit my DEMOTIX column to view photos of Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the Royal College of Art.

Pandemonia Artist’s Talk at the Royal College of Art in London

 

View more of my Pandemonia photos and read stories:

Macmillan De’Longhi Art Auction 2013 raised money for Cancer Support

Pandemonia visits Symphony of Colours exhibition launch in London

Pandemonia at Eleni Gagoushi private view in BAKU restaurant London

Fred Butler Debut Presentation at London Fashion Week 2011

Pandemonia Blond Curls at London Fashion Week 2011

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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Fashion in Art Space transforms Pushkin Fine Arts Museum

Valentin Yudashkin white silk dress from Russian Modern collection.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Fashion in Art Space exhibition of haute couture dresses by the famous Russian designer Valentin Yudashkin started in the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in Moscow.  It is a double celebration of Yudashkin’s 50th birthday and the 25 years of his artistic career.

 

Dresses from V. Yudashkin haute couture collections in Ancient Greece Hall.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Over quarter of a century, Valentin Yudashkin has created more than fifty fashion collections.  Each one is a revelation.  His best creations are on display in the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts since the 15th October 2013.

 

Detail of V. Yudashkin Butterfly collection dress in Italian Art Hall.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

This extraordinary display showcases Russian style in all its glory, splendor and lavish exuberance as designed by Valentin Yudashkin.  Organza, crinoline and rhinestones blend harmoniously with ancient Greek and Roman statues and look as a splendid addition to the Renaissance paintings in the museum.

 

Taffeta dress with crystals from V. Yudashkin Wartime Actresses collection.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Fashion in Art Space – Valentin Yudashkin exhibition dates are: 15 October – 15 December 2013.

Address is:  Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, 12 Volkhonka Street, Moscow, 121019.

Visit my DEMOTIX column to view more Fashion in Art Space exhibition photos:

Fashion in Art Space exhibition begins in Moscow

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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SS14 Fashion Show – Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church

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PRITCH London SS14 leather jackets catwalk at LFW.  Video by Eugenie Absalom

 

Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church hosted a number of exciting fashion events during London Fashion Week in September 2013.

Arina Pritch, young and inspiring designer from Saint Petersburg in Russia, presented an array of multi coloured stylish leather jackets and coats for independent women.

 

Arina Pritch flanked by models in PRITCH SS14 leather jackets. Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Classic black and snow white colour leather outfits were complemented with luxury red, screaming pink, pale lemon, ivory, deep purple and navy blue leathers.  Slashed skin tight trousers and skyscraper heels completed the sexy look of long legged models.

 

Model in PRITCH London SS14 red leather jacket.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

Visit my DEMOTIX page to view more photos of PRITCH London leather jackets collection SS14:

PRITCH London SS14 Leather Jackets added colour to London Fashion Week

 

UK accessories label Age of Reason brought in a playful, punk twist to SS14 fashion collection at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church with its pure silk, chiffon and cotton scarves known for definitive luxury finish and artful colour combinations.

 

Age of Reason designer Ali Taylor Mapletoft.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

The Pirate Queen (I Will Never Surrender) and God Save The Queen scarves from earlier Ali Taylor Mapletoft collections set the mood for Age of Reason SS14 display.

 

Ali Taylor Mapletoft next to Pirate Queen and God Save The Queen scarfs. Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

More photos of the Age of Reason scarves SS14 display at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church during London Fashion Week: Age of Reason SS14 – London Fashion Week

Seven feet tall pop artist Pandemonia with ever present inflatable pet dog Snowy (apparently a cross between a Scottie and an Airedale) was among the front row guests at the catwalk.

Eugenie Absalom with pet dog Snowy and Pandemonia at LFW SS14 show.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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Martin Lewis Live at NUJ Freelance Meeting in Euston

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis at NUJ Freelance meeting.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom/NUJ

 

What can be more inspiring for a freelance journalist than to see and hear a fellow NUJ member, who happens to be in a multi-million category and have a chance to ask him questions?

Martin Lewis, founder and editor of MoneySavingExpert website and of ITV’s Martin Lewis Money Show, shared hints and tips of his skyrocketing career with freelancers at NUJ meeting in London.  It took place at Friends House in Euston on 8 April.

At the meeting Martin Lewis described his progress from a small personal website and e-mailing his now famous “Martin’s Money Tips” to a database of 700 – 800 contacts in 2003 to becoming the owner and editor-in-chief of the biggest personal finance website in the UK with the audience of over 13 million monthly users and 7.65 million receiving his money tips e-mail.

 

Martin Lewis at the NUJ Freelance meeting at Friends House.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom/NUJ

 

“No one can pay to be on my website,” – said Martin Lewis.   The MoneySavingExpert website generates income through affiliate links.  It is editorially independent, with a bigger Forum than Twitter.  “We must always write what is best for our users,” – he added.

There is a great deal of personal research going into all the material, published on MoneySavingExpert.com.  “If you go back to personal finance journalism when I started it was about stocks and shares, occasionally mortgages and gas and electricity ….that was a bit radical…  And it was all about getting quotes from somebody in my industry.”

The key to his online success is unique content.  “When I write, I always write in the first person.  People want to see the whites of the eyes of the journalist who wrote it. I do not work off press releases.  I do my own research.  It’s called journalism, ” – concluded Martin Lewis.

In September 2012 he sold the website to the MoneySupermarket.com Group for £87 million, while he remains editor-in-chief of MoneySavingExpert.com.

Martin Lewis has his own prime-time ITV programme  – The Martin Lewis Money Show. He is also resident expert on Daybreak, Lorraine, This Morning, Radio 5 Consumer Panel and Radio 2 Vine and more.

Visit DEMOTIX to view my photos of Martin Lewis at the NUJ Freelance meeting at Friends House.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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Olympian Body Casts and Nuclear Physicist at ROA Gallery

Louise Giblin ARBS and her body cast sculptures at ROA Gallery.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

I came across amazing body cast sculptures of Louise Giblin ARBS at the Collective of Women Artists exhibition preview at the Royal Opera Arcade (ROA) Gallery in London.

Her works represent a unique combination of skill, innovation, striking detail and creative approach to depicting her subjects.  Some of her famous sitters include Olympic heroes Kriss Akabusi MBE, Sally Gunnell OBE and Paralympian Darren Leach, who’s limited edition casts in bronze, copper and aluminium are currently displayed at the Collective of Women Artists show.   Exhibition dates are 5 – 15 March 2013.  The ROA Gallery is inside the Royal Opera Arcade, just off Pall Mall.

 

Body cast sculptures by Louise Giblin ARBS at the ROA Gallery.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Another surprise of the exhibition preview was the chef, called Sarah-Jane Victoria Brookes.  Sarah-Jane from Mayfair was serving us cooked snacks with style, appropriate for an elite art event.   The funny bit came when I learnt about her background as a nuclear physicist.

 

 

Nuclear Physics PhD and amazing chef Sarah-Jane Brookes at the ROA Gallery.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

As conversation went on we left the gallery and stepped outside.  There is Ducketts book store in the Royal Opera Arcade next door to the ROA Gallery.  I noticed “Death of a Dissident:  The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB” book by Alexander Goldfarb and Marina Litvinenko in its window.

Amazingly, Sarah-Jane happened to be at the same hospital as Alexander Litvinenko at the time of his poisoning, just two wards away from him.  She had a surgery for appendicitis at the time.  There was an old lady in the ward, separating her from Litvinenko.  The old lady died and they brought a coffin for her.  But they must have confused the rooms and the coffin ended up in Sarah-Jane’s ward.  She still has a very special memory of that incident and a story to tell.

View my photos of Louise Giblin ARBS at the Collective of Women Artists exhibition preview on DEMOTIX.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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London Fashion Week AW13 at BAKU London Was Fun

Eugenie Absalom in floral skull head piece at LFW AW13, BAKU London.

 

New London restaurant, called BAKU after the capital of Azerbaijan, hosted a series of fashion shows during the London Fashion Week AW2013.  I visited two catwalks:  by Soho based Italian designer Nico Didonna and Norwegian designer Nina Naustdal from Chelsea.  The decadent interiors of the Knightsbridge restaurant created an impressive backdrop for shows and receptions:  with mirrors, white chandeliers and art on the walls.

 

Nico Didonna catwalk show at BAKU London, LFW AW13.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

Nina Naustdal reception at BAKU London.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

AW13 fashion exhibition at BAKU London bar.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Nico Didonna presented his chic and glamorous Autumn Winter evening collection alongside innovative menswear to Jazz music on 15 February.  Calm Jazz sensations blended with Crepe Jersey, silks and cashmere and culminated in spellbinding movements, that showcased the female form.  Double cobalt blues with gold metals, seductive reds, soft leathers and luxurious wool offered a unique, quality choice for a discerning client.

 

Pandemonia with Snowy dog, Tracy Rose and British Bulldog Pavarotti.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

British Bulldog Pavarotti watched Nico Didonna catwalk with a kind of interest from a front row seat.

Chelsea based designer of Norwegian origin Nina Naustdal presented her Autumn Winter 2013 Gold collection at BAKU on 18 February.  Inspired by raw diamonds, her collection featured exotic shimmering animal print gowns and stunning separates in vivid colour palette, classically tailored in silk, chiffon and velvet with  leather detail.

 

Nina Naustdal AW13 Gold collection catwalk.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

You are welcome to visit my photo reports of fashion shows on DEMOTIX:

Nico Didonna Fashion Show at BAKU Restaurant in London

Nina Naustdal Autumn Winter 2013 Gold Collection at BAKU London

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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Coldplay and Paris for Kids Company at Proud Camden

Coldplay Graffiti Wall Mylo Xyloto at Proud Camden galleries.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Original Mylo Xyloto album artwork by Coldplay band members and Paris raised £500, 000 for Kids Company charity at Proud Camden galleries at the beginning of December.  Fraser Kee Scott of Album Artists commented on Facebook:   “I just sold the Coldplay Mylo Xyloto wall for £500,000, which all goes to Kids Company!  That means total sales are now over a million dollars which all goes to the charity!  This has been a mind blowing week for my new company Album Artists.”

 

At Coldplay and Paris charity art show at Proud Camden.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom.

 

The exhibition featured three original paintings on canvas by Coldplay and the band’s Mylo Xyloto artwork collaborator Paris, as well as the original 7m x 2.5m graffiti wall that became the album artwork.  A second wall painted by children from Kids Company and Paris was displayed above the stage opposite Coldplay’s graffiti wall.  A collection of never seen before Coldplay tour photo prints by their photographer Matthew Miller was one of the highlights of the show.

 

 

Fraser Kee Scott at Coldplay and Paris charity art show.  Photo ©  Eugenie Absalom

 

New venture by Fraser Kee Scott, Album Artists, makes art for musicians and provides fans with original and limited edition artwork by their favourite stars.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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Pandemonia at Eleni Gagoushi Show at BAKU London

Pandemonia at Eleni Gagoushi art show at BAKU London.   Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Extravagant living pop artwork Pandemonia, wrapped in tight-fitting khaki rubber dress and holding her pet dog Snowy, showed up at Eleni Gagoushi private viewing of abstract paintings at BAKU London restaurant in Sloane Street.

Originality in art pays off. Once you see Pandemonia and her inflatable companion Snowy dog appear at London art and fashion events, all heads turn their way. I felt very lucky to have a chat with Pandemonia at BAKU London restaurant cellar last night.  Seven foot tall blond lady spoke in a male voice about conceptual character of her art, aimed at exposing cellophane celebrity culture and the spreading popularity of her artistic pursuit worldwide, referring to recent photo shoots in China.

 

Two artists: Eleni Gagoushi and Pandemonia at BAKU London restaurant.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Our chat took place against the backdrop of abstract paintings by London artist Eleni Gagoushi. Her famous Angel paintings were glowing mysteriously in the dim light of the BAKU cellar bar while renowned DJ Albert de Paname from Paris played atmospheric music from Edith Piaf and Prince to Latin.

View my photos of Pandemonia at Eleni Gagoushi private art viewing at BAKU London restaurant on Demotix

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

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The Diamond Recollection Presentation to HM The Queen

HM The Queen at the JTC Diamond Recollection presentation.  Photo © RCS.

 

2012 has been marked by HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations across the Commonwealth.  The Royal Commonwealth Society marked the jubilee with the world’s largest online history project, called the Jubilee Time Capsule (JTC).  The Capsule represents a collection of videos, photographs, drawings, essays and poems that reflect life in the Commonwealth over the past 60 years.

37, 163 people from 66 countries submitted their memorable moments to the digital archive that will be preserved online as a memory of the Diamond Jubilee year.  Their Royal Highnesses Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie, the Dean of Westminster Dr Hall, BBC presenter George Alagiah, television presenter and a former BBC Royal reporter Jennie Bond, Oscar Pistorius and Richard Branson were among the contributors.

On Wednesday, 14 November HM The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, visited the Royal Commonwealth Society headquarters in London to officially seal the Jubilee Time Capsule and accept the Diamond Recollection of the top 60 contributions into the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.  12 year old Malawi boy John Samson presented HM The Queen with a gift of a Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 computer tablet, containing the Diamond Recollection, chosen by a panel of judges out of  the 80, 000 entries from across the Commonwealth.

 

Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, The Very Reverend Dr Hall and Pearl Amoateng at the RCS HQ.

 

I submitted 37 contributions to the Jubilee Time Capsule and I was thrilled to find out that one of my memories was chosen to become a part of the Diamond Recollection.  Notting Hill Carnival 2011 followed London riots very closely and there was an atmosphere of uncertainty about this annual August bank holiday event.  But over a million revellers came together to celebrate Europe’s biggest street festival, that has been held in the best traditions of Rio in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea since 1966.

 

Eugenie Absalom next to Notting Hill Carnival 2011 screen at the JTC Diamond Recollection presentation.

 

Notting Hill Carnival is a magnificent British tradition.  It has its roots in the 19th century Caribbean carnivals, celebrating the emancipation of slavery.  And it has high artistic values.  Dance and music are at the heart of the carnival:  Calypso, born in the sugar plantations of Trinidad, steel bands and drummers accompany the 20 mile vibrant procession.  Afro Caribbean community of London, represented particularly by British Trinis, show off their cultural heritage at its best and provide tons of fun for the onlookers.  It is very important to preserve this fascinating event, that combines the spirit of  liberation with a deep rooted theatrical tradition, for generations to come.

 

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The Royal Collection is one of the largest and most important art collections in the world.   It is running more than a million objects and  is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the nation.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

 

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The Diamond Jubilee Concert From The Mall

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

It was the sea of joy and the best celebration ever outside Buckingham Palace to honour 60 glorious years of Queen Elizabeth II as Monarch on the 4th June 2012.

Thousands gathered outside the Queen’s residence for the Diamond Jubilee Concert, organised by Take That frontman Gary Barlow and performed on the elegant jubilee stage, surrounding the Queen Victoria Memorial.

I was in The Mall, which was covered with blue, red and white Union Flags and outfits as far as the eye could see.   Giant screens in St James’s Park and all along The Mall made it possible for thousands of fans to watch the concert steps away from the palace.  One could move freely down the Mall and enjoy the show from a variety of screens, which I did.

 

Colours of The Mall on The Diamond Jubilee Concert night.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

Rays of descending sun added a finishing touch of glory to the hot party atmosphere that reigned over the star-studded show with the Queen as the guest of honour.  Presenter Rob Brydon kept the crowds warm with  his jokes.  The Jubilee Concert  featured almost every music genre under the sun and became a true celebration of the six decades in music.  It brought together a constellation of knighted music legends like Sir Tom Jones, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Elton John and Dame Shirley Bassey.

Celebrity performers on the night included Robbie Williams, who opened the show with Let Me Entertain You, backed by Cold Stream Guards, Kylie Minogue with Flawless, Annie Lennox wearing Angel wings, extravagant Grace Jones with hula hoops, Alfie Boe, Jools Holland, Jessie J, JLS, classical pianist Lang Lang, Ed Sheeran, Cheryl Cole, Stevie Wonder and pop veterans Madness, who brought the concert to finale with Our House on the roof of Buckingham Palace.  The palace façade represented live canvas at that point with intricate 3Ddesigns created by lasers.  It was a totally unforgettable spectacle, thanks to 600 technicians who worked on the show behind the scenes.

 

The Diamond Jubilee Concert artists.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie could be seen on giant screens singing along to popular tunes.

The Queen, dressed in gold colour gown with crystals, arrived mid way through the concert.  It was announced that Prince Philip, the Duke of  Edinburgh was unwell and had been taken to hospital.   Crowds were chanting ‘Philip, Philip, Philip’.

One of the most magic moments of the concert was the premier of a new inspirational piece of music called Sing – the song of tribute to the Queen by distinguished composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and award winning song-writer Gary Barlow with over 200 people on stage.

The Jubilee anthem was performed by the Military Wives choir conducted by Gareth Malone and musicians from across the Commonwealth including the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Band, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Slum Drummers of Kenya and the African Children’s Choir.  For one performance only the Commonwealth band came together and filled the hearts with hope and light with its beautiful singing to the video track, featuring special moments from the life of  Her Majesty.

 

“You brought hope, you brought light
Conquered fear, it wasn’t always easy
Stood your ground, kept your faith
Don’t you see
Right now the world is listening to what we say

Sing it louder, sing it clearer
Knowing everyone will hear you
Make some noise, find your voice tonight
Sing it stronger, sing together
Make this moment last forever
Old and young
Shouting love tonight”

 

The Diamond Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace. Photo © Eugenie Absalom

 

The proceedings were closed by Her Majesty the Queen, lighting the national beacon outside Buckingham Palace.  Spectacular extended fireworks marked the end of the Diamond Jubilee Concert at 10:30pm.

14.7 million people tuned into the BBC’s coverage of the concert on Monday night.  It was totally overwhelming to  celebrate  the Queen, the country and the Commonwealth with thousands of well wishers in the Mall to crème de la crème of the music world.

 

Visit my  Diamond Jubilee Concert entry to the Diamond Jubilee Time Capsule.

 

News and photos by Eugenie Absalom

Photo Copyright © Eugenie Absalom

 

 

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HRH Princess Michael of Kent at 150th SWA Exhibition

HRH Princess Michael of Kent by Tom Chilton portrait at 150 SWA exhibition. Photo © Eugenie Absalom.

 

Official opening of the 150th SWA Celebratory Exhibition and presentation of Awards by HRH Princess Michael of Kent, the Society of Women Artists Patron, at the Mall Galleries in London.  29th June 2011.

The SWA exhibition featured over 500 works in a variety of media – paintings, sculpture along with original prints, etchings and ceramics by professional women artists.  A retrospective show in the East Gallery celebrated the work of prominent women artists who played an important role in the development and life of the society, including Dame Laura Knight.

 

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HRH Princess Michael of Kent at the 150th SWA Exhibition video.

 

“We have come a long way since the mid 1800s when it was viewed as quite outrageous for ladies to publicly show their art work! Our metamorphosis is now complete and this year we celebrate at the splendidly refurbished Mall Galleries,” said Barbara Penketh Simpson, the former President of the Society of Women Artists. “The Society, with its unique history, is constantly developing as a diverse, vital, and forward looking organization seeking to promote talented women artists.”

 

 

Artist Arina Gordienko (ARINA) by her Self-Portrait at the SWA exhibition. Photo © Eugenie Absalom.

 

 

I learnt about the exhibition from one of participating artists, Arina Gordienko (ARINA), who’s striking “Self Portraits in Colours” could hardly be missed by visitors.  ARINA shared her experience: “I am really honoured to be a part of the Society of Women Artists exhibition. I became a full member of the society in 2010. This is the 4th time my paintings have been displayed at the Annual exhibition of the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries. And I am always thrilled and I really enjoy the creative atmosphere of the event. This year’s 150th Anniversary of the Society of Women Artists was opened by HRH Princess Michael of Kent and it was particularly magnificent with a fabulous variety of genuinely talented works by women artists from all over the world.”

 

HRH Princess Michael of Kent at 150th SWA Exhibition at the Mall Galleries –

– my entry to the Diamond Jubilee Time Capsule of the Royal Commonwealth Society.

View my photographs of HRH Princess Michael of Kent at the 150th SWA Exhibition on Demotix

 

 

Text and Camera by Eugenie Absalom
Photo and Video Copyright © Eugenie Absalom

 

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Sir Richard Branson at Business 2012 – London

Sir Richard Branson and Mike Southon at Business 2012.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom.

 

 

“The best business ideas come from people feeling passionate about something.”        Richard Branson

 

From Virgin Records to Virgin Galactic Sir Richard Branson career spans almost half a century, marked with outstanding projects and Virgin label global business success.

 

This year, for the first time in my life, I had a rare opportunity to see Richard Branson live on stage at Business 2012 show at The O2 London (former Millennium Dome).  The iconic English entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin empire of nearly 400 companies, including Virgin Records, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Unite and Virgin Media, shared his insights with the next generation of business owners at The IndigO2 in informal, witty and inspiring manner.  Sir Richard came across very much like a people’s billionaire.

I found it rather touching when Sir Richard invited on stage and warmly greeted the young Indian entrepreneur Vishal Misal, who’s company Blak Pearl organised the event.  At the age of 24 Vishal Misal achieved something that is almost unthinkable – he booked Richard Branson himself to speak at his free show.  What an inspiration to all the new and not so new businesses!

I organise events myself and I couldn’t have known better how difficult it is to get celebrities to your events.   He made dreams come true for lots of people in the audience on that day.

 

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Sir Richard Branson on Virgin Records at Business 2012, The O2 London.

 

The words of wisdom, coming from one of the 100 Greatest Britons and “one of the top 100 most influential people in the world” (Time Magazine, 2007) were:  “Just get out there, get a great team of people around you, go and shake whatever industry you are planning to get yourselves into!  Have enormous fun doing it.  Don’t take yourself too seriously too.  Make sure you always offer great value for money and a great quality to public.”

I would like to share with you one of Richard Branson’s most amazing projects – Virgin Galactic, the project that means a new victory of human spirit.  “We are not that far away from making space travel a reality,” said Sir Richard at Business 2012.

The extraordinary idea behind the project was that anyone could become an astronaut, buy space tickets and have a journey of a lifetime.  Virgin Galactic was launched in the 1990s and marked the beginning of a new era in space travel.  At the moment Virgin Galactic is on track to become the world’s first commercial space line and a major milestone in the history of humanity.

“I started it because I was waiting for NASA to say “we are now going to allow ordinary people to be able to go to space,” said Branson.  “And by 1990 I just thought that if I carried on waiting I would never have the chance.  So I registered the name Virgin Galactic Airways and I headed off round the world to look for scientists or technicians who were able to build the spaceship, preferably a spaceship that went up and came back again,” he joked.

 

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Sir Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic at Business 2012, The O2 London.

 

Following successful tests of SpaceShipOne, the building of SpaceShipTwo is nearly completed at Space Port in New Mexico.  According to Virgin Galactic website, “the most radical feature employed by SpaceshipOne and now SpaceShipTwo is the unique way it returns into the dense atmosphere from the vacuum of space.  Burt Rutan designed the unique feathering system which does away with the need for sophisticated computer driven flight control systems or the need to rely on the pilots.”

The two and a half hour flights will offer about five minutes of weightlessness.

“In the history of space travel since it began there have been less than 500 people, who have been to space,” stated the founder of Virgin Galactic. “In our first year we will send more people into space, than have been sent in the history of manned space travel.  It is going to be tremendously exciting,” he added.

Virgin Galactic has managed to reduce significantly the price of getting into space.  “We have 500 people signed up, $200 000 each.  And I think over time we will get this price down,” said Branson.

Sir Richard was answering questions with a great deal of humour and demonstrated a serious talent for entertainment.  When asked about the origin of Virgin (the true story behind the company name), he answered:  “The story was that we were sitting in a basement, a bunch of 15 and 16 year olds, mainly women, sitting around.  We were trying to come up with a name for a record company… Somebody jokingly said:  “We are all virgins, let’s call it Virgin.”  There was a lot of laughter.  And we ended up calling it Virgin.  And it works because, you know, we were virgin at almost every business that we started.  It took us 3 years to get the Registry Office to accept the registration of it.  They claimed it was rude.  We said to them that it was opposite of rude and at the end we managed to get a little bit from the English dictionary which said “Virgin equals pure.”  And they finally accepted the registration.  The Catholic church were the only people who carried on objecting.”

 

Business 2012 show at The O2 London, 18 – 20 March.  Photo © Eugenie Absalom.

 

Sir Richard recalled their first concert at Queen Elizabeth Hall and the release of Tubular Bells album with musician multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, who was the actual reason for setting up the Virgin Records company.

“The best business ideas come from people feeling passionate about something,” said Richard Branson.  His entire business career, from Student magazine to Virgin Galactic, proves the point.

Richard Branson’s releases include: “Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way”; “Reach for the Skies: Ballooning, Birdmen, and Blasting into Space” and “Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons in Life and Business.”

Richard Branson was knighted by HRH The Prince of Wales in March 2000 for his contribution to entrepreneurship.  He topped a list of 2,000 people that included Julie Andrews, Elizabeth Taylor, Norman Wisdom and the first ever James Bond Sean Connery.

 

Sir Richard Branson Live at Business 2012 in the Diamond Jubilee Time Capsule.

 

View my photos of Sir Richard Branson at Business 2012 on Demotix.

 

Business 2012 show took place at The O2 London on 18 – 20 March 2012.

 

Text and Camera by Eugenie Absalom

Copyright © Eugenie Absalom

 

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