The Art of PR, the first exhibition showcasing the works of established and emerging artists from the UK public relations sector, opened this week. The show runs until this Saturday, the 23rd, so be sure to visit the Coningsby Gallery in Fitzrovia to see some inspiring art. The exhibition features both current and former PR professionals who have successfully transitioned into full-time artists, including highlighted artists such as Tonye Ekine, Stella Tooth, Nadia Padayachy, Ade Lee, and Occhi Director David Emmanuel Noel. The lineup of artists also includes:
Joe Thomas
Joe Thomas is an award-winning leader in creative and corporate communications, with experience in both agency and in-house environments for brands such as Virgin Media, Google, itsu, and Aldi. Currently, he leads Creative Direction at Clarion Communications while also advising several brands, organisations, and PR agencies. Joe is showcasing his latest studio work, inspired by a passion for cartography. His work explores perceptions of psychological and geographic spaces. In addition, he will host a series of live portrait sittings throughout the exhibition.
Justine Bower
Exhibiting artist Justine Bower’s career includes over 20 years in broadcast publicity at Channel 4, CNN, Sky News, UKTV, a BBC Studios company, and she is currently communications director at media giant Global. Having previously exhibited in New York, Justine creates digital portraits and abstract paintings with a signature vibrant colour base.
Ruby Quince
Ruby Quince is a creative director at Burson, the PR agency created by the union of Hill & Knowlton and Burson Coln & Wolfe in 2024. Ruby’s work comprises collections of similar image types that emerge from cyclical habits and hobbies, created using Procreate and an iPad.
Simon Moore
Artist Simon Moore has held various creative director roles at Cake, Mischief, Havas, and Porter Novelli and freelances for various agencies. Simon studied Fine Art in Newcastle upon Tyne and has exhibited his work at various times including participation in the BP Portrait Award at London’s National Portrait Gallery.
Francesca Hales
Francesca Hales is an account executive at Clarion Communications. Having studied Art at university, she specialises in print design and has since been named in Artfinder’s top 20 UK/US artists. Francesca creates ‘organically articulated’ travel prints using Adobe Illustrator.
Emily Rose Halladay
Emily Rose Halladay is a creative at the entertainment agency Stellar. Emily studied advertising at Central Saint Martins and paints impasto oil landscapes and abstract artworks.
Alexandra Heybourne
Alexandra Heybourne has spent over 20 years working for media companies in-house and at agencies, and is presently a director at a major agency, alongside being a founding mum for PR Mums and on the board of the Greater London CIPR committee. She is a specialist in entertainment, media, and arts PR and has worked with some of the world’s most recognised photographers. Her photography passion started as a teenager with her going on to study photography at school. Post university she was a photo journalist for a Birmingham ezine, progressing to a freelance editorial photographer before entering the world of PR when her pictures became a hobby. During her career, she has photographed a range of faces from football legend Geoff Hirst for Sheengate Publishing to Alan Davey, former controller of Radio 3, for the Guardian. As a hobbyist, her photos explore the art of the every day, from brutalist buildings, looked at from a different perspective to human connection observed from the crowd. For this exhibition, she is teaming up with Teddington Photographic for the print work.
The free exhibition is open to the public between 18th and 23rd November 2024 at The Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham Street, London. Artworks will be available for sale.
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