DARRELL HAWKINS BORN in 1986
Darrell Hawkins was born in Chatham, Kent in 1986. He attended the Kent Institute of Art and Design (UCA) and graduated from Brighton University of Art. The artist lives and works in Medway, Kent. Darrell makes music under the moniker ‘Sonic Hawkins’ and is signed to Accidental Records. Darrell’s art has been exhibited at Saatchi Gallery, Rochester Gallery and Strange Cargo. He previously played guitar for London based post-punk band Wild Palms (One Little Independent Records).
EDUCATION
BA Hons Fine Art Painting, Brighton University 2004-2007
BTEC Diploma in Foundation Studies, Kent Institute of Art and Design 2003-2004
EXHIBITIONS
2022
HYPNO TANGO - Series of paintings exhibited at Intra Arts for Medway Open Studios, showing alongside artist Zara Carpenter's MEDWAY PEOPLE.
Public artwork 'STROOD Welcomes You' on display for 6-12 months in Strood town centre, on the junction of North St and A2. Digital painting on aluminium, 600x300cm. Commissioned by Medway council as part of the 'Welcome' project.
2021
Group Show with Bella Easton and Dahlia Westmoreland, Beaston Projects at Platform Projects Independent Art Fair, curated by Bella Easton, Athens, Greece.
Solo Exhibition 'Kiss Me Pink' Naked Gallery, curated by Darrell Hawkins, Rochester
2020
Beaston Projects at Platform Projects Independent Art Fair, curated by Bella Easton, Athens, Greece.
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2019
Group show ‘Collabs’, curated by Matt Bray, Sun Pier Gallery,
Chatham
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2018
Solo Exhibition ‘Techno Fossils’ curated by Alison Young, Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester
Selected works, Prints and Originals Gallery, curated by Paul Foster, Saatchi Gallery, London
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2017
Group Exhibition, ‘Collateral drawing 5’, curated by Bella Easton, Strange Cargo, Folkestone
Joint show with Dahlia Westmoreland, ‘Scrubdown’, Margate
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2016
Solo Show, ‘Fanboy’ curated by Matt Bray, Sun Pier Gallery, Chatham
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2015
Solo Exhibition 'Immaculate Confection' Saatchi Gallery, London
Group Exhibition 'Mackerel Sky' Empire house, curated by Harry Jones, Whitechapel, London
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2014
'GO FIGURE', Curated by Roxie Warder, Saatchi Gallery at the Hyatt, London
'GO FIGURE' Curated by Roxie warder, Cob Gallery, London
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2013
Selected works, Gallery Mess, London
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2012
Group Exhibition, The Horsebridge Gallery, Whitstable, Kent
Solo Exhibition, Salon Club, London
Selected works, Deaf Cat, Rochester, Kent
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2009
Solo Exhibition, Stamford Works, Wild Palms ‘Overtime’ Single launch, London
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2008
Group Show ‘Three’, Signal Gallery, London
2007
Group Exhibition, Coach House, London
Degree Show, University of Brighton, Brighton
PUBLICATIONS
Wild Palms, ‘Live Together Eat Each Other’ album artwork One Little Independent Records 2016
Wild Palms, ‘Until Spring’ album insert artwork, One Little Independent Records 2011
New Art in Medway Urban Fox Press 2005
ABOUT
I am attempting to be a chronicler of contemporary life, recording personal and collective history. In my paintings I keep playing with a variety of ideas, shifting from immediate comment on the present and an interest in how cyclical trends within human culture affect and shape our memory of the past, our sense of now and how we think the future might look.
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I source the majority of my subject matter online, collecting imagery in order to create digital collages, building a personal archive of reference material to create my paintings. The dynamic of the relationship I have with the people and things that inhabit my work is a form of fan boy mentality, a visual list of things I connect with and idolise. I alternate between historical and contemporary references, connections I have made between subjects that interest me or potential outcomes of my own imagined narratives.
Colour in my artwork democratises the imagery I use in my paintings. I employ clashing vibrant hues and punchy neons in my work to drive my visual ideas, explore my own sense of aesthetics and to fulfil an innate need for sensory exploration.
As well as constantly feeding new elements into my painting, I like also to toy with repetition; there is a reoccurrence of childhood interests and other symbols that are representative of different stages in my life, pathways I want to re-tread and re-visit.
Sometimes the repetition is abstract and more rhythmic where I build visual fields through repetitive mark marking. These paintings are about playing with process and an attempt to find balance compositionally and build something more akin to music.
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The rapid nature in which we view images today has had a notable impact on how I approach and make my work. I create the majority of my paintings in one sitting, like a conveyor belt or social media application’s feed, collating everything I like, trapping fragments, saying what I want to say as quickly as possible, every image vying for attention, fighting to be prized.