Last Thursday, May 3rd, Mau Mau‘s solo show Pigs Might Fly opened with a private view at London’s Westbank Gallery. I say private view, but with a guest list of over 500 people it was hardly private, more like a public view with a party list, all crammed into the two storey gallery.
Having seen some of the preview images I gave a little heads up prior to the show last week, mainly on the basis that I was actually excited to see the pieces for myself and to see how the installations looked up close.
Unfortunately I could not make the opening, but thanks to Beejoir (one of many who helped curate and hang the show) I has given the opportunity to have a look around a couple of hours before the doors were flung open. And I have to say the show did not disappoint.
For me, a successful gallery show must tick two boxes. Firstly the artwork on display must be good, obviously. And secondly the show must be a ‘show’, it must pack a punch and be interesting, not simply an entire white walled gallery dotted with run of the mill artworks.
Mau Mau and his team certainly pulled it out of the bag and ticked both boxes with ease. The work on display was fantastic – canvas, paper, wood and metal pieces covered the walls. I was especially fond of Black Gold, a Mau Mau and Beejoir collaboration, Shell Reaper, and of course those great little Piggy Banks were a highlight.
But it was upstairs that the show really came alive with an amazing installation comprising of multiple spaces which you accessed by climbing a spiral staircase covered in foxes. Split up by cupboards and a wire fence, viewers were met with a flowerbed of spray cans, Mau Mau’s secret stash, a Fox watching the box smoking a fag, and another surrounded by his Swag, all overlooked by more walls covered with art.
Overall I have to say the show was a cracker. As soon as you walked into the gallery you could tell that it was put together with passion (and some real hard work), and to me that is what counts. Mau Mau, his team of friends, and BestWank Gallery certainly know how to put on a show! If you haven’t already visited make sure you do before it closes on Sunday May 13th.
Photos by Emerson Soriano, Unusual Image and Westbank Gallery