Rhapsodes: I make, I create, I tell a story

Alveston Gallery Notting Hill, is pleased to present Rhapsodes: I make, I create, I tell a story, a new group exhibition opening in June. The show will feature works by seven artists - Anne Athena, Aoibhin Maguire, Evelyn Albrow, Jam Westwood, Rafael, Simon Dredge, and Teddy Hansen - that highlight the process of storytelling through art.

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The exhibition title refers to the ancient Greek term 'rhapsōdoi' (ῥαψῳδοί), defined as a professional reciter who performed epic poetry. Derived from “rhapsōidein”, meaning “to sew songs [together]” the term provides the conceptual basis for the show to explore the cumulative nature of the artmaking process. The artists presented in Rhapsodes similarly weave narratives through their respective mediums, becoming storytellers through their work.

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The works featured in Rhapsodes draw from reality, fiction, and dreams, with the artists on display combining astute technical skill and nuanced narration to communicate their stories. The exhibition structure will allow viewers to journey through the gallery and encounter one imaginative world after another. Artwork on display will provoke reactions ranging from cognitive/intellectual connection, emotional resonance to laughter. Viewers will be offered a deeper look into the process of rhapsōidein by encountering excerpts from the artists’ journals and sketchbooks, photos, and historical references. By displaying the artworks in this context, the process is demystified, allowing visitors to experience the full breadth of the works, leaving a lasting impression of stories that they will want to return to.

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Preview evening on Thursday, June 4th, from 6 to 9 pm

June 5 - July 5 2026

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Follow us on Instagram @alvestongallerynottinghill for updates about the show.