Hassan Vawda on his exhibition at Penny Fielding Gallery & outside his parents' house

Penny

Could you tell us about the work you will be showing during this year's E17 Art Trail?

I have a show (trail no.121) at Penny Fielding Gallery & Interiors in Walthamstow Village. Penny has chosen pieces of mine that show not just my art but also represent my process. There are paintings that show how I see the world, find flowers of ideas and explore my inseparable relationship with art. I really look forward to having work shown at Penny Fielding, her and her shop/gallery has done so much for local art in Walthamstow over the last 10 years. Her organic way of curating has also worked for me, as I am always considering getting organized as an artist, but I always spend too much time creating. There will also be notebooks on my cities and suits which will give an insight into a bit of the culture that is part of me and also a couple of my poetry zines on display. On the 5th June, there is a poetry reading at the Penny Fielding Gallery, featuring a host of local poets, including myself. The event is free.

I also have another smaller piece on show, on the side of my parents house is a large painting as part of the flower series that I do. These flowers are made up of small abstract patterns based on biological cells. The listing is no.162 in the guide.

How have you been preparing for this year's trail?

I paint cause I have too, so trail or no trail, the creating process does not change.

Flowers for Risk

Fox

Could you tell us about an an artist/ artwork that  particularly inspires you?

There are films, pieces of art and poems that don't inspire me, but are part of me. There are works by Abbas Kiarostami, Mahmoud Darwish, Stuart Hall, Ross Bleckner, Basquiat, Satyajit Ray, Allen Ginsberg, Joe Sacco, Vincent Gallo, Van Gogh…and the list goes on. These works that are part of me are my keys to the world and I would not understand anything without them. I would be lost...

How does inhabiting a community like Walthamstow help your practice? 

I was born in Walthamstow. It is my home and when I when I am 80 I will be talking about it in the same way my Grandparents talk about their villages in India as home.

Listing no.121 in the guide: for more info click here.

Listing no. 162 in the guide: for more info click here.