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Art exhibition: Corridor Garden by Jolene Liam
Jolene Liam, a Singaporean artist and architect, is exhibiting her drawing series ‘Corridor Garden’ at the Tavistock Centre, showcasing fresh perspectives on everyday spaces and imagined landscapes.
The exhibition draws its title from an earlier series of drawings with the same name, documenting corridor gardens in Singapore’s public housing estates and celebrating how people make these in-between spaces their own.
Jolene began drawing as a child and, after several years as an architect, shifted her focus to art.
“I started to make drawings for myself again, and not for a specific project. At first, these were mainly explorations of the gaps between conventional methods of architectural representation. They have gradually expanded to include looser mappings of places I visit and abstract explorations of different materials.”
Speaking on the transition from being an architect to artist, Jolene explains “, I left full-time architectural practice to focus on my art and have been shaping my own education through alternative learning programmes and courses. These have been so crucial in pushing my work forward as I’ve been able to meet other artists and have good conversations about my practice and making art in general.”
Her exhibition explores how people engage with their natural surroundings and create safe and homely spaces despite the constraints of city living. “Most of Singapore’s population lives in subsidised government-built homes. These buildings can be quite repetitive, but you can often find informal front gardens created with arrangements of potted plants in the common corridor, providing a way of connecting with nature on a more personal scale whilst living in a dense urban environment.”
Jolene continues to say that she is “really interested in how these corridor gardens give a hint of the different characters behind each door. They are fascinating examples of how something unplanned can become intrinsically stitched into the urban fabric and identity of a place.”
Her exhibition also speaks to the resilience of our environment during times of change and transition. “For me, being around plants and nature is such a good reminder to be more accepting of changes and things I cannot control. Plants make such a difference to the spaces we inhabit – without them, our surroundings would be so harsh and unhealthy.”
“It’s always satisfying to notice little signs of growth like new leaves or flowers. So many of my plants have come back from the brink of death, which shows how resilient nature can be.”
Visit the exhibition
‘Corridor Door’ is on display at the Tavistock Centre in Belsize Park until 15 November.
Art at the Tavistock and Portman
Art is an important feature of the Tavistock and Portman. We believe that the artworks in our buildings help to humanise what is essentially a clinical space, making it more friendly and welcoming. The arts can make a powerful contribution to health and well-being for both physical and mental health. Research has demonstrated the benefits of the arts in healthcare in hospitals and other healthcare setting and a Department of Health working group on the impact of arts on health found that the arts have ‘a clear contribution to make and offer major opportunities in the delivery of better health, wellbeing and improved experience for patients, service users and staff alike’.
Art at the Tavistock and Portman
Wander around the hallways of the Tavistock Centre and you will see works of art hanging along every corridor and bold stabs of colour in our public spaces.