Brian Eno's HARD ART to Release New Portrait Book and Exhibition

HARD ART is a creative collective founded by legendary British musician, record producer and artist Brian Eno that looks to stand in solidarity with the global community in the face of climate and democratic collapse. Founded in 2022, the platform originally formed in Eno’s London studio through conversations with his contemporaries pertaining topics from geo-engineering to alternative forms of economics.

Later this month, London’s Paul Stolper Gallery will host a fundraising exhibition and book launch featuring a unique portrait series of artworks by HARD ART. Produced in collaboration with award-winning artist and animator, Ian Bruce, the collective invited a number of meteoric figures within the worlds of art, music and design, including Es Devlin, Jeremy Deller, Love Ssega, Cornelia Parker, Gavin Turk, Louis VI, Olivia Douglass, Chris Morris, Fred again.. and more — where Bruce paired members together to recreate each other through a technique called ‘blind contour drawing.’

The method prompts one to draw another without looking down at the page. Bruce followed by coloring in each linear abstraction using crayons, resulting in surreal portraits with meandering facial features. “A clever idea in the hands of a multi-talented artist,” remarked Eno in a statement. “Fascinating stuff!”

The exhibition will be mapped across two days, starting on Friday, May 24 and Tuesday, May 28 from from 10am to 6pm, respectively. Funds raised will benefit HARD ART’s initiative in cultivating bi-monthly sessions where creatives of all walks can converse, sparking dialogues and collaborations centered at the intersection of economics, politics, climate science and technology.

Paul Stolper Gallery
J E Ferris Ltd,
31 Museum St, London WC1A 1LH