Float- Part of Art In Mind The Brick Lane Gallery; 9th- 20th of January This is the first review I have written that is from a completely new perspective, this time I had the joy and accomplishment of actually featuring in the show myself. Art in Mind is an up and coming artist platform that allows those who have possibly never featured in a London art exhibition to exhibit. It offers a vital role in allowing amateur artists a taste of what the art world can offer, and quite frankly I loved every minute of it. Now I can understand that those of you reading this may feel that I am presenting this from a biased perspective, however all parts of this exhibition have simply been easily accessible and enjoyable so my writing is simply a first-hand experience of a terrific way to start the year. All the staff at the Brick Lane Gallery work very hard to be as hospitable as possible and with any issues they are never more than an email away, it was due to this that I (as well as many of the other artists featured in the show) felt exceedingly comfortable in the set up and running of the show. I also feel that the curation of the work was very free and I was personally able to exploit this to add a new dimension of distortion to my work that (hopefully worked) to entice and draw the viewer in. Some of the stand out pieces from the show included Dana Starling's photography that was excellently positioned by the door as you first walk in to greet the audience, offering up new perspectives of the simple scenes in everyday life but through simple angles and tricks of the eye her collection of works were intriguing and I felt the perfect choice to be positioned to greet the public as they entered the space. The show was divided using both rooms of the gallery, the top floor was filled with different types of photography that offered a range of photographic talent and in some case offered a true duo of photography and fine art specifically encapsulated by Yajing Liu's beautiful creations. Downstairs in the lower gallery the show took on a new viewpoint featuring a range of artist work that included painting, collage and printmaking. I felt like Bernd Reichert's collages were one of the most eye catching parts of the lower exhibition as they offered a real sense of depth through multiple layers that combined mass media images with an autobiographical element allowing for a personal insight in the artists thought process during creation. The curation of my work within the show was exceedingly liberating and allowed me to play with the space; I wanted to disconnect the eye line of my prints to allow different levels of interest and absorption to be felt by the audience, balancing laborious practice with controversial presentation, which the workers of the gallery were completely accommodating too. The show flowed excellently from medium to medium and encompassed a true range of talent. This, coupled with how inviting and understanding all member of the Brick Lane Staff were made for a successful exhibition and a bustling private view. The show is running until Sunday, and due to the interesting combination of disciplines and contexts throughout a number of the works- this show is definitely not to be missed. I wanted to end this review by thanking the Brick Lane staff for this excellent opportunity, and allowing me to be part of it. It is a huge honour to be part of their first show of 2013. Lizy Bending http://www.feelfreecompany.wordpress.com read more

I am a professional qualified artist from the Netherlands, and last March I had a very successful exhibition at The Brick Lane Gallery. Due the successful receival of my work, I was asked to join in at another exhibition in April, at their big sized exhibition space The Annexe, where artists who exhibited with them before and whose work/exhibition was a big hit with The Brick Lane clientèle/art collectors, were featured for their outstanding quality of work and unique style. For both exhibitions, they did an efficient & professional promotion campagne, to introduce the exhibiting artists and they made good use of social media and sent out invitations that we could send out to our customers and contacts. The gallery owner is a professional photographer and knows what she is doing: regarding the design of flyers as well as hanging up paintings and puts them together in such a way that all the paintings look outstanding....which was a very nice surprise for me to see in person on the Opening / Preview launch! The Opening was completely packed with people and organized professionally and with plenty of wine. As I am often in Paris, The Brick Lane Gallery reminds me very much of the gallery scene in Paris: big enough (upstairs, downstairs) and yet with a bohemian artistic touch. And, it's location is hip, trendy and in the middle of where everything is happening.....ánd, they are open 7 days a week from 10am until 6pm: a very véry important aspect to me! The fee at The Brick Lane Gallery was absolutely reasonable for all that they offered to me. I only paid for a 3 meter space but as my paintings are quite huge, they must have given me about 5 meter space instead, to make my works come out the best way possible! Artists should wake up and realize that when you would exhibit at any professional international art fair, you pay a tremendous amount for 3 days exhibiting for the price of 1000 euro/dollars for space where you can just hang 1 bigger painting or 2 small paintings. And then, you still need to pay a few hundreds extra for promotion. The art scene has changed a lot and you do have many of galleries that are asking outrageous fee's and who dó take advantage of artists: I know many of those!! But, artists need to realize that to get further, we have to become a little more commercial and invest a little in ourselves nowadays in order to be seen and to get noticed as much as possible. The reason that Picasso and Dali became famous artists and were spotted, was because of the fact that they were highly talented....but also, commercial and excellent business men as well in order to make a living from their art.. Anyway, I can highly recommend The Brick Lane Gallery..!! My huge paintings just arrived from London to the Netherlands by courier, and were carefully packed by the team of the gallery! read more

I really want to thank The Brick Lane Gallery and staff for the opportunity to show in The Annex in Awakening during September 2013. After reading the mixed reviews on the various websites regarding the gallery I decided to invest in myself and sample the services offered. I must say that I am in no way disappointed - as a new artist entering the world of art it is difficult to get any genuine help or exhibition opportunities - I had both from the staff at Brick Lane. I was recommended courier services as I am based in Wales to transport my work who were superb and I would definately use again. Any doubts or queries I had regarding any aspect of the event no matter how trivial were dealt with quickly and professionally making me feel at ease and confident right up to and beyond the opening night. After introducing myself to a member of staff ( none of whom I had ever set eyes on before ) on the opening night I was introduced to all the other artists, their friends, other guests. and put completely at ease. Even though I did not sell during the 2 weeks of the show (which I was obviously dissapointed with ) I have sold all of the 3 paintings since, received a commission for a very large mural , been offered 3 more exhibitions and a job in the middle East - all as a direct result of the show - let me make this clear - all of the connections came from complete strangers visiting the exhibition. None of whom I would have encountered if it hadn't been for the help and support offered by the gallery - for me it couldn't have gone better ! What you need to remember is that this is a good offer - no comission and a London venue to show. These guys cannot force people to buy your work if that is your goal and nobody works for free - everybody has overheads. I was not a gambling man and have never even bought a lottery ticket but I do have a passion for what I do and some self belief - some call it vanity - that is why I tried this offer - life is a gamble - if you cant back yourself then what can you back ? Maybe I was lucky with my work - I dont know - what I do know is that I am happy that The Brick Lane Gallery provided the quality of service that they offered and I feel they fairly charged for it. I will definately be using their services again. If anybody does not believe this review please take a look at my website at www.justicarrollart.com and feel free to contact me. Goodluck everyone read more

I am a 17 year old high school student living in Dubai and I had the amazing opportunity to exhibit my work at Brick Lane Gallery in two exhibitions! The gallery is amazing at finding artists (especially young ones like me) as they stay active online and on all social media sites. Once they expressed interest in exhibiting my work, we stayed in touch over email sorting out details and they were very helpful when I arrived at the gallery to physically unpack, frame and hang my work. Giulia and Petra were very helpful in guiding me through the whole process. The first exhibition that I exhibited in was "Works on Paper" and the opening night was a success. The gallery's outreach was amazing and many different people showed up. By the end of the first week (that the exhibition was going on for), all three of my pieces were sold. The gallery did an amazing job of staying in touch with the buyers and managing the delivery of the paintings to their homes. At the end of this exhibition, the gallery expressed interest in extending the exhibition of my works and kept my work up for the second exhibition "Art in Mind" for free. The gallery was very supportive in every aspect (especially since I am just a high school student). If anyone is looking to exhibit some of their artwork - especially for those who it will be their first exhibition- Brick Lane Gallery is the place to do it! read more

I am an artist with 20 years of exhibiting experience and thought it might be worthwhile giving my point of view on this whole debate about the "rentable" gallery system. I have never been represented by a gallery, unfortunately too few artists are in reality, but this isn't to say that you can't make a reasonable career out of a passion for the arts. I have pursued my artistic career by going at it alone and quite often by either organising my own shows or paying to take part in various exhibitions. They weren't always a huge success but, on the whole, I managed to secure commissions, make sales and get some nice feedback on the way - it was always a way for me to get my work seen and build a reputation a little at a time and it has enabled me to make my own career without needing to be represented. I've never actually exhibited at the Brick Lane Gallery but their format, although being different to a "representing gallery" is a simple way of getting your name out. Not every artist is lucky enough to be represented and if you don't give yourself all the opportunities to be spotted and make a few sales, then you end up missing a trick. This is purely my opinion of course but it's too easy to write a bad review when in reality there are so many artists like me who struggle and need this type of exposure. read more

I exhibited at the Brick Lane Gallery recently and would like to take this opportunity to write a honest review as there has clearly been some misconceptions about the institution. I stumbled across the Gallery online and emailed them about the possibility of taking part in an exhibition and they generously agreed to host me. The sum of money was really not extortionate at all considering the gorgeous location and the fact that it is within London; I actually found that it was extremely reasonable. This was my first exhibition in London as I am a new artist and they handled me with care, respect and patience. Obviously I was nervous about my first exhibition because it was my first attempt in London but on arrival at the gallery and on seeing the quality of work I was extremely pleased. The open/private view on the night before the exhibition went public was completely packed. I gained a lot of fantastic compliments and advice from artists and members of the public as well as people contacting me about some other exciting prospects (which I wouldn't want to put publicly right now but are all exciting and wouldn't have been able to happen without the gallery). I certainly would recommend this gallery to artists and art enthusiasts alike. read more

I am disillusioned. I loved exhibiting in London, what a wonderful opportunity, but was very disappointed with the poor level of publicity from the gallery, and unfortunately I didn't see these comments first. I had to chase to have the exhibition flyer with our names on it on the Brick Lane Gallery Website, which didn't go up until the show was well underway. I was also asked if I wanted to extend my show and that I had been chosen as artist of the month, which would entitle me to the publicity of 30,000 subscribers this is something that I was promised the first time around, (but was not reflected in any way by the hits on my website). However, when I said that I couldn't extend my show this time (for a cost) but could perhaps show in a later exhibition, the opportunity of being artist of the month seemed to go by the wayside. Unfortunately this is the least professional of all the galleries I have exhibited with, which is a real shame in this great location. If you are an artist aspiring to develop your career, this is not the place for you in terms of publicity, whether that is online, at the opening, or in the media. Facebook and Twitter is all you will get. read more

Here is my experience with the Brick Lane Gallery. We showed our artworks at this year's "Art of Mind" exhibition in January. The gallery doesn't have such good reviews and I don't know why. Because the experience was so incredible and so much fun. And also a huge success. The entire crew of the gallery was so nice and super professional. They did a lot of advertising all the time and were open to further ideas or thoughts. The solution was there - immediately. I can only recommend booking Brick Lane Gallery if you are a new or fresh artist. You just have to know that it is not a sales exhibition. They won't sell your artwork in action. But of course they'll give information about you as an artist. But you don't have to pay between 50 or 70 percent of the work you sell, as is the case with other galleries. It's entirely up to you if you have sold anything. The Shoreditch area is also a great place in central London. Absolutely great location. As I said, book a space in the Brick Lane Gallery. You won't regret it. We had no regrets and we will be back. Thanks again to the great team at Brick Lane Gallery. Cheers read more

If you've gotten an email full of flattery, asking you to be part of an exhibition at this gallery DON'T DO IT!! Real galleries pay artists, take commission, & cover fees because they are interested in growing careers and relationships. Charging $2500 just to exhibit only benefits the gallery. If Brick Lane already has your money, they will have no incentive to sell, especially since they don't charge commission. Let me put it this way, as a relatively unknown artist, I can price a video work around $500-$100. If the gallery pays for the projector rental and installation, then takes even a 40% commission, I'm still only out $200-400. The prices Brick Lane charge don't add up AT ALL with what they are offering, even with publicity, reception, etc., since most of that kind of work is being done by an unpaid/low wage intern. Thankfully, I read some reviews and investigated the gallery before making this mistake. Another note: The compliments this place has gotten are a bit too well composed for them to legitimate, or the writers unfortunately have had the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes. read more

As an emerging artist, my friend Roxana needed greater exposure for her work. So we decided to exhibit some of her work at the Art in Mind Exhibition at the Brick Lane Gallery in Sept / Oct 2014. Lucy and Marcela from the Brick Lane Gallery have been great. The whole experience was relaxed but professional and naming the exhibition after Roxana's painting "Indifference" was a really nice touch. Roxana has since been invited to and exhibited at the Barcelona International Art Fair in December, that was held in Gaudi's iconic building Cassa Batllo'. And only last week Roxana was invited to show her artwork in an exhibition to be held in June at Louvre Museum, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris. As you can see, the exposure Roxana received from the Art in Mind Exhibition has been tremendous and is one of the major reasons we are now receiving these great invites. read more

This Gallery approached several artists through an art social site called http://Redbubble.com - and sent 'invitations' to display their work in an exhibition they were having. This carefully crafted e-mail led several artists to believe that their work had been invited into a well curated exhibition. However, upon further inspection, artists found out that this gallery was going to charge a ridiculous fee for a tiny amount of space in a short run exhibition. They touted that they took 0% commission which is code for: "We don't think your work will sell". They do not provide properly curated exhibitions but rather a sophisticated con which derives 100% of its profits from vulnerable emerging artists. Many people were humiliated and their dreams dashed after they found out that they had their hopes raised only to have them shattered. read more

Showcasing my photographs first time ever in London was in Brick Lane Gallery as part of the group exhibition PHOTOGRAPHY NOW. Big thanks to the Gallery Manager and the team for their encouragement and support throughout the whole process - all very kind, helpful and professional. Constant and prompt communication via email made the preparation smooth and stress free. They recommended print and frame studios, I just had to drop off the photos and they took care of the rest - hanging, advertising, preparing e-flyers and printed bio of each artist. Pleasant experience at the opening where I had opportunity to meet the other photographers, share contacts and feedback. Amazing location in the heart of art-buzzing Brick Lane and Shoreditch area, great opportunity to get your name out there noticed. read more

SCAM! Once you have paid (quite a lot of money to get a tiny space for ten days), they put a couple of posts on facebook/twitter and, according to them, a few websites/mailing lists, which you don't have access to. The SCAM is after the preview: they claim their gallery staff is trained to promote your artworks on site, distribute flyers, business cards, etc. and possibly sell. Sadly the reality is that once they have taken your money, they are not motivated to even say hello to visitors and potential buyers, let alone to sell your art. The atmosphere is very unwelcoming and the funny part (!) is that the artists are paying for that! I have reported the Brick Lane Gallery to the Trading Standards for poor service. AVOID AVOID AVOID! read more

PREDITORY CAPITALIST SCUM SPAM MAIL PROMISES - HURRY ONE SPACE LEFT... quick £660 per 3m!!!! VANITY GALLERY WARNING !!!!!!! So sorry for those who pay these scammers to have their work shown. Everyone is the business knows about them. I told the Gallery assistant they were first world predatory scum this morning. Artists should not have to pay for their work to be shown. She had the grace to say: I have to admit that I don't like this business model either. Wow. She was honest, I never expected that. Praise to that woman. AVOID AVOID AVOID and relax and chill.... until the next vanity show offer. Please phone them and let them have it down their ears. Do it. I did. It was easy. You're doing it for the community. read more

I have just shown work with the Brick Lane Gallery and what a dissapointment it has been. The Preview night was a farce, I am in Australia but my family and friends went along, they found a few luke warm beers in a bucket under a table, no speeches, no catalogue, poor labelling of artworks, no photographer to be seen, the exhitbion was not listed on their own website until the day after it had opened, so much for their 30,000 mailing list not one person appeared to show form all that promotion for the opening night, no-one present to welcome them and offer them drinks from the Complimentary Bar. I feel embarrassed that I asked so many people to go to the preview night. STEER CLEAR is my advice!! read more

It is amazing how many offers I have had since exhibiting at The Brick Lane Gallery, London. Honestly there are so many, I will tell you just some of them: To exhibit during the Cannes Film Festival and Art Basel in Switzerland. Gallery representation in New York and Austria. Three exhibitions in Italy, two in Austria, one in Germany. One in Spain, one in London. Art fairs in Vancouver and Amsterdam. Tokyo billboard invitation. The BBC have also been in touch as have a couple of other video interview/TV programme makers! I am so happy! I am currently looking for Sponsorship. So exciting! With Very Best Wishes, Caroline Boff www.carolineboff.co.uk #carolineboff #thebricklanegallery read more

I am currently exhibiting at the Brick Lane Gallery . The theme of the exhibition is 'Day Dreams' and it finishes on the 6th of May 2013 . I must admit the Opening night of the exhibition was fantastic ;great crowd for such a small Gallery ,there were ques out-side which surprised me . Manager Tessa Yee and staff there did an amazing job . It was everything an Artist would expect especially on an Opening night great atmosphere ,would highly recommend to other Artist considering exhibiting there in the future xxxx Christie Almond ~ARTIST~ My Twitter: Combono2 Website: http://www.christie-almond-artist.co.uk E-mail: c.almond@hotmail.com From : Bromley ,Greater-London ,U.K. read more

It was my first exhibition here in London last week and I had great experience. The staff at the gallery were very helpfull and supportive right from the beginning and throughout the exhibition. During two weeks of the exhibition the gallery kept in touch with me about the progress of the exhibition and offering support. I recieved such a fantastic guidance which is very important for an emerging artist like myself and was helped with hanging, storage and packiging my artworks. The gallery promoted my artwork on social media and press release reguliary during the exhibition and I recieved so much interest in my artworks. Fantastic experience, thank you so much. read more

This gallery approached me to exhibit in one of their shows 'Art in mind'. It was only on further enquiry that I became aware of the cost of gallery space (£500.00p or something of the like for 3 metres). As an unknown artist it would have been virtually impossible for me to have made any money back. The galleries intent seems to have been to spam many artists including international ones on the Red Bubble art site, in order to make money from them. The whole affair has left a lot of people including myself feeling hurt to have had hopes dashed and more than a bit angry. A disgustingl way to do business! read more