A solo show from Jacob Littlejohn.

At Custom Lane, Leith, EH6 6AL from June 25-27, then online.

Opening reception Friday 25 June, 2021.  5:00 – 8.45 pm (Booking required)

Exhibition unrestricted and open all day Saturday 26th and till 2 pm of Sunday 27th. 

The Rafiki Gallery is incredibly pleased to present our first physical exhibition of the year with the work of Scottish artist, Jacob Littlejohn in his upcoming solo show titled ‘These Days’. The exhibition is a showcase of works by Jacob Littlejohn traversing the artists orientations during the past year. The show will be popping up in Custom Lane’s gallery space over three days with the exhibition being presented online thereafter. Tackling isolation, separation and how individuals adapt to their environments, while recognising and honouring the melancholy and the poetics found in each individual day. Many of the works honour approaches of deep mapping and exercise ideas or objectives of psychogeography, such as the dérive. The exhibition aims to encourage people to consider their personal connection to exploration, the role of spectator within the work and relationships between nature, reality, landscape and still life.

Space as we know it has connotations of abstraction and geometry, while place resonates with particular and a qualitative destiny. Perceived, conceived and lived spaces are all appropriated within Littlejohn’s practice, with a commendation to the Poetics of Space. Do we make places, or do they make us? Recently, this has been manifested by sourcing materials and source imagery from different locations and how each work created can in turn illustrate these and become a tangible connection to its origins. By exploring this, nature does not disappear in abstract painting, nature’s laws are concealed into a unique visual form. By reading the work of Bachelard the artist has been considering the space that we choose to form and manipulate around us, in order to best meet our needs as individuals, taking a direct visual influence as well as a metaphorical approach to these environments.

The work being shown varies across media and size, from large scale works on canvas to minute works on paper. There is no hierarchy in production, they all go through the same procedures of creation as they are all made by the same hand. Littlejohn’s process revolves around a profound interest in medium, technique, composition, and colour. Exploring the theatricality found in experiencing and unveiling works of art draws the artist to the role of spectator and performer. The works act as visual inquiries investigating the relationship between place, environment, literature, human behaviour, and nature.

Edinburgh-based painter Jacob Littlejohn is a recent graduate of Glasgow School of Art’s BA Painting and Printmaking and has participated in group and solo shows throughout the UK and received several awards. Jacob has recently completed the fully assisted Graduate Residency programme at Leith School of Art. Since, Jacob has received a fellowship award to study at The San Francisco Art Institute in 2021, where he aims to achieve an MFA in Studio Art.