This year the Creative Croydon exhibition took on a bit of a different format.

We teamed up again with Croydon BID and our alter ego 31% Wool (aka our day job) to curate the third instalment of the Creative Croydon outdoor exhibition which (as you may have already noticed) is now showcased on lamppost banners across the centre of Croydon.

What made this year different? Well, a couple of months ago we launched a competition for young Croydon artists (aged 16-25) to enter three pieces of art that responded to the theme ‘happiness is’.

All entries were judged by a panel of established artists, who were also previous Creative Croydon artists. Thank you to Kate Marsden, Tina Crawford, Matt Bannister, Skye Baker and Miguel Baker, for taking on this job as I know it was a tough process as the standard of entries was high. We all agreed that the chosen art, unified by the theme of happiness, is both vibrant and diverse, and a lovely representation of Croydon’s growing arts community. Each of the five winners now receives a £500 commission for their exhibited work, which stands out brilliantly above our heads on our central Croydon streets.

Let’s hear more from this year’s artists, Thomas Oldfield, Erika Gomez, Beatrix Finch, Autumn Ng Fong Tiao and Iulia Taropa.

Thomas Oldfield, age 19

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Thomas: I’m an illustrator, sculptor and traditional printmaker, born and raised in Croydon. Having taken an interest in creative work at a young age, I have always been inspired by the creatives of our local area. I love the wide variety of Croydon’s local artists, from painters and writers to performers and musicians, and believe we should do all we can to elevate the diversity of our creative community.

Croydonist: How do your exhibition pieces respond to the theme ‘happiness is’?

Thomas: Happiness is seeing beauty in the mundane, the simple, yet uncommon. These pieces are snapshots of moments where I was uninvolved, an observer, that made me smile. Spotting a fox, fast asleep at a bus stop in the town centre at midday against all odds. Two lonely dog-walkers, soon to be friends, chatting together for the first time as their dogs chase each other around Lloyd Park. And a teenage boy on the bus, who kindly moved aside so a tired mother could put down her overexcited daughter, whilst I listened to the newest album from one of our local bands. Happiness is the beauty of simple humanity.

Instagram @sillydogprints

Erika Gomez, age 22

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Erika: Growing up in Croydon I have been able to see Croydon’s art scene evolve, which inspires me and a lot of my art projects which is why being part of this exhibition is like a full circle moment.

Croydonist: How do your exhibition pieces respond to the theme ‘happiness is’?

Erika: I did these pieces of artwork during lockdown where we were stuck at home. During this time I explored and learned to appreciate my home. I think many would agree that happiness is their home and find it a safe space that is unique and special to them filled with memories.

Instagram: @egomez_art_

Beatrix Finch, age 16

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Beatrix: I’m a young creative exploring digital nativity and ways of being. As a neurodivergent and disabled person, I’m creatively exploring a world that sees me as secondary to other people, and my journey starts here in my hometown Croydon.

Croydonist: How do your exhibition pieces respond to the theme ‘happiness is’?

Beatrix: My art practice is about digital nativity and ways of being. I consider myself a resident of the internet, and as a disabled person, I can’t always access my local community. My artworks celebrate the little adventures and joys I have experienced when I have been able to get out into Croydon. Happiness is being able to see and remember those trips and memories when I’m back in bed.

Instagram: @beatrixfinch

Autumn Ng Fong Tiao, age 18

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Autumn: I’ve always lived in Croydon but have only recently started to look at it as a subject for my art, though it has always been a great subject. Croydon has so many interesting ideas and images that I want to capture.

Croydonist: How do your exhibition pieces respond to the theme ‘happiness is’?

Autumn: I find happiness in observing and exploring the everyday lives of people. I’m very much inspired by the concept of ‘sonder’, hence the figures in my paintings.

Instagram: @autumn_art__

Iulia Taropa, age 19

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Iulia: Growing up in Croydon means I have got to know our streets very well, and I cherish them. Therefore, it will be so rewarding to have the opportunity to see my own art brighten up our streets, which are already so full of history.

Croydonist: How do your exhibition pieces respond to the theme ‘happiness is’?

Iulia: I associate each individual piece with a specific moment in my life, whether it be long and drawn out, or whether the moment is over in a matter of minutes. These are times when I experienced pure joy and peace of mind. Happiness is the moments spent in the untamed sun-filled garden with my grandad during my childhood growing up in Romania; it’s my discovery of an intense curiosity related to seashells and Mario and salt lamps – feelings of childhood wonder.

Instagram: @julixiaz

Thank you to Thomas, Erika, Beatrix, Autumn and Iulia for chatting with us. Look up to see happiness in the Creative Croydon exhibition around town now. 

Read more about Creative Croydon year 1 here, and Creative Croydon year 2 here. 

In situ photography by Glenn Foster, courtesy of Croydon BID.

Posted by Julia