Eri Itoi at Braveart 06 -- East London

I love going to student art shows. Admittedly, it is always in the back of my mind that I could discover the next big thing and have a great story in twenty years about how I bought this work by so-and-so for £30 and now it is worth £100,000. But it really isn’t about all that – at least not for me. Mainly I enjoy these shows so much because it is the best way to stay current with the next generation of artists. I like that their work has not necessarily had any major exposure to the art market (i.e. gallery and museum shows and auctions). I am free to formulate my own thoughts without having any pressure of an impressive resume looming in the back of my mind. It allows the experience to be about the viewer and the artwork without the interferance of anyone else's opinions. This is a great exercise in developing a collector’s eye, as well as trusting your own instincts.

Last weekend I went to the Braveart 06 student show at the Atlantis Gallery in East London. The show was made up of recent graduates from Scotland’s four main art colleges. 20 students were represented at the annual event and the works included painting, sculpture, video, and instillation. My favorite artist by far was Eri Itoi from the Edinburgh College of Art. Her works easily could have been overlooked due to their diminutive size but not for any lack of beauty or skill. These delicate and intricate portraits depict young women often times with moody and extremely emotive faces. They are standing alone without a background or context to place them in. The pencil drawings are done on eggshell colored paper no larger than 4 x 6 inches and were selling for £550 each. They are truly intriguing.

At these shows, or any gallery show for that matter, I always come home and research any artists that I liked on my outings. It is usually a dead end with student shows but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Eri Itoi was first (and only) on my list for that day and I was happily surprised to find that she is currently having her first solo exhibit here in London at the David Risley Gallery. I am certain I would have liked her work just as much if I saw her beautiful drawings in the gallery context, but for my sake, I am happy that I experienced her work at the student show. Check out Eri Itoi at www.davidrisleygallery.com.