CHINESE AND BRITISH
A British Library Touring Exhibition
and RED
January 21 – 18 February 2023
Join us to celebrate the heritage, history and lasting legacy of our vibrant Chinese communities across the UK.Chinese and British is an exhibition about how Chinese communities have influenced Britain. On loan from the British Library and hosted by Sevenoaks Library in the Kaleidoscope Art Gallery. Join us to celebrate the heritage, history and lasting legacy of our vibrant Chinese communities across the UK.
Taking its lead from the British Library’s London exhibition. This free display shows this long history through photographs, manuscripts and interviews.
Meet remarkable individuals from British Chinese communities around the UK. Get to know the local business owners who set up Europe’s first Chinatowns. Discover personal accounts from the descendants of merchant seamen. Be inspired by the scientists, artists and writers breaking new ground. Uncover the challenges that British Chinese people have encountered through the centuries, and continue to face today.
RED
24 SVAF Artists respond to the colour RED
Drawing Painting Textile Sculpture Weaving Print Collage
Christina France / Carole Aston / Elaine Almond / Diana Poliak / Sue Evans
Rosalind Barker/ Cherie Lubbock / Margaret Devitt / Deborah Ravetz
Susanne Beard / David Minton / Rowena McWilliams / Lesley Lee
Lizzie Hill / / Frederique Jones / Victoria Granville Baxter / Lydia Carda
Maria Turner / Sarah Cliff / Lester Korzilius / Kate Grimes / Richard Heys
Jenny Blackwell / Adam Green / Deborah Farquharson
Why RED? Red is a popular colour in Chinese culture, symbolizing luck, joy, and happiness. It also represents celebration, vitality, and fertility in traditional Chinese colour symbolism. Red is the traditional colour worn by Chinese brides, as it is believed to ward off evil.
For centuries, red has been China’s colour of power, celebration, fertility, prosperity, and repelling evil. It has been chosen for the robes of high officials, traditional wedding dresses, babies‘ clothing, envelopes for gifts of money, and the walls surrounding the Forbidden City to keep its occupants safe. On Lunar New Year, now as in the past, streets and homes are bedecked with red lanterns, and finery for the day is red or accented by it. Even China’s national flag is red— chosen both as an emblem of the People’s Revolution and as the traditional colour of the Chinese people—summing up the colour’s importance to national identity.
Red in ART is arguably one of the most controversial colours in the entire spectrum. It was one of the first colours that humans managed to perfect the method of reproducing in different hues using red ochre material.
RED and CHINESE AND BRITISH 2023
Artists from Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum respond to the challenge of RED order of Gallery hang:
1 Christina France 50:50 (Generator Series) Digital print
2 Carole Aston Explosion Collage on foam board Oil on board
3 Margaret Devitt Terra Rossa Oil on board
4 Frédérique Jones Inconspicuous Weave Tulip wood, watercolour posca pens, tombow pen acrylic
5 Deborah Ravetz RedOil on board
6 Susanne Beard Firecracker Felt, canvas, yarn, recycled fabric
7 Diana Poliak Warming to ItMixed media on canvas
8 Lizzie Hill RedWire and waste material
9 Rosalind Barker Framed 1 Pencil and poster paint on 70gsm paper
10 Lester Korzilius Différance Paper and aluminium foil
11 David Minton Maquette Oil, acrylic, canvas and collage on canvas in wooden frame
12 Adam Green Darling leave a light on for me Mixed media
13 Chérie Lubbock Ruby Card, acrylic, oil pastel, latex and paper on board
14 Victoria Granville Baxter and Lesley Lee Red Paper/card collage on vinyl
15 Kate Grimes UntitledResin
16 Sarah Cliff Redtangle Chalk paint, charcoal, wax on paper
17 Jennifer Blackwell RedLines Acrylic and oil pastel
18 Debbie Farquarson New Red Metallic and acrylic paint with collage on canvas
19 Elaine Almond Encircled by Red Acrylic on canvas
20 Sue Evans Shady Woven fabrics, spray paint and hand embroidery
21 Lizzie Hill Red Bamboo Bamboo string and nylon thread
22 Maria Turner Manoeuvres in Red Oil on board
23 Richard Heys Stolen Time 181 Acrylic on canvas
24 Rowena McWilliams Red Dictionary acrylic paint
Mezzanine:
25 Christina France 50:50 (Generator series) Digital print
26 Rosalind Barker Framed 11 Pencil and poster paint on 70gsm paper
27 Lydia Carda Wear and Tear Cotton wool, glue, acrylic paint and metal
Most works are for sale and if you are interested in purchasing please email
ORIGAMI RABBITS Saturday 21 January
Drop in 10:30 – 1
CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR
Turn your piece of artwork into an origami rabbit
Create an artwork with SVAF artists
Then turn your drawing or painting into Origami Rabbits
You can also bring artwork made at home, the paper must be a rectangle
Suitable for all ages 2 – 90
Have your rabbits ready for Chinese Lunar New Year on Sunday 22 January
You can leave your rabbits on display at Kaleidoscope Gallery
Saturday 28 January
10:30 – 1
Drypoint Printmaking Workshop
With SVAF artist and printmaker Sarah Cliff
Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Rabbit and be inspired by the current exhibitions at Sevenoaks Library.
Scratch your design onto a printing plate, apply ink, and use a printing press to imprint your image onto paper.
Rabbit template provided for those who prefer not to draw but would like to have a go.
Adults and year 7+ children, due to sharp tools
Bring an apron or wear old clothes as the ink stainsSuitable for all abilities
Booking Essential (8 places only) email:sevenoakskaleidoscope@gmail.com
SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY Drop In 10:30 – 1
Lucky Money Envelopes –
At Chinese Lunar New Year, it’s tradition to give the gift of a bright, beautiful red envelope (known as 紅包, hóngbāo) to your friends and family. But not just any old envelope. These symbolize good wishes and luck for the new year ahead. The importance of the hóngbāo is not the cash inside but the actual envelope itself.
Join SVAF artists to create your year of the rabbit lucky envelope.
Suitable for all ages.
