Fluidity and flowers contributing to communal consideration.
Filled with an assortment of artist books, compressed charcoal and coloured pencils, Jake Grewal’s studio in leafy Camberwell, London is in a large building which houses many creatives. He enjoys this communal aspect, sharing a space with two friends from his time at The Royal Drawing School, and has started holding artist crits with a group of peers, mentioning “I think learning and informing each other about our work is crucial.” When I went to visit, it was a hot summer morning and sunlight streamed through the windows, gracefully illuminating the site and his artworks. Jake’s desk was neat and tidy; flowers and plants further brightened the room and acted as a source of inspiration for his practice. He tries to observationally draw from life every day, forcing him to head into natural surroundings before coming back indoors to work on his paintings. Supplying a daily soundtrack, Jake comments “I listen to a lot of artist lectures. My favourite podcasts are ‘A Brush With’, ‘The Week in Art’, ‘Getty Arts and Ideas’, ‘The Daily’ and ‘Today in Focus’. Along with classical music; Arvo Part, John Tavener, Philip Glass and a healthy dose of Björk, Joni Mitchell, Serpentwithfeet and Patti Smith.” The duality of working both inside and outside has transcended Jake’s studio to become a temple for consolidation and contemplation, this being fundamental for enabling the artist’s practice to become an emblem of both inwards and outwards reflections.