Untitled work by Anna Bachène.

New shows at Zoom’s Warrior Square gallery and Oscar’s

Two new shows provide more momentum to the revival of the visual arts in Hastings. Anna Bachène will open a new exhibition at the Zooms Arts gallery at Warrior Square station next week, while Nick Hill already has an exhibition under way at Oscar’s on the Square. Nick Terdre reports.

A joyful bonanza of artful colour and storytelling can be seen next week at the Zoom Arts Gallery, Warrior Square station where the vivacious mixed media artist, Anna Bachène, will be hosting an exhibition of her canvases.

The show opens on Thursday 17 September and runs until Saturday 26 September.

Untitled.

Anna has been exhibiting regularly around the town since she brought her art to St Leonards from London many years ago.

Also available from the Zoom gallery will be limited edition signed prints and greetings cards for those who are not in the market for original art work.

Anna hoped to hold a private view on Friday 18 September but due to the new restrictions on social gatherings has cancelled it.

A love for cinema

Meanwhile another Zoom Arts member, Nick Hill, has an exhibition on his own account entitled Celluloid Heroes at Oscar’s on the Square on the sea front. “Celluloid Heroes is inspired or influenced by my love for cinema,” Nick tells HOT. “This was passed on to me by my late adoptive parents who were, let’s face it, a couple of luvvies!

“They met on stage in Australia during a production of The King and I, and growing up with them I was always encouraged to discover the movie greats through books, films and records.

Train Stopping at La Ciotat.

“My dad would often let me stay up late on a Sunday night to watch silent classics such as Greed or Potemkin before sending me off to school on a Monday morning. Through him I also fell in love with the films of Carne, Renoir, Truffaut – and the list goes on and on.

“As a child, when most kids wanted to be firemen, cowboys, policemen or soldiers when they grew up, I wanted to be a film director. This would obviously never happen as I am a solitary and introverted human being and found the way to channel my artistic temperament was much more suited to painting, which I have been doing for the last 12 years.

Derek Jarman’s Garden.

“This latest project is a way of thanking my parents for introducing me to culture and knowledge.

“My style as ever is psychedelic, surreal and romantic, with at times a dark sense of humour. I continue to use found objects, broken mirrors, thread and glitter and high gloss varnish and hope this will carry on captivating the viewer. I have also included some recently-finished abstract paintings, which I created during lockdown.

“This new show was intended to be included in this year’s Coastal Currents festival. I do cross my fingers and hope that this project might find a space in a cool and trendy local cinema, like the Electric Palace in the Old Town, in the new year. This would be most fitting for my latest work.”

Anna Bachène: Zoom Arts Gallery, Warrior Square Station, TN37 6BU. Thursday 17 to Saturday 26 September. Open daily 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Nick Hill, Celluloid Heroes: Oscar’s on the Square, Lower Promenade, St Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6FA until Sunday 1 November. Open Thursdays to Sundays, 12-8pm.

The Cabinet of Dr Cagliari: Nick Hill

The article was amended by Nick Terdre on 13 September 2020.

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