The exhibition will be on display at the gallery from the 18th November until the 6th December.
StageBlock and Red 8 Gallery will present the inaugural exhibition with The Shakespeare Portraits (Vol. I), which is set to feature a collection of 10 living portraits of some of our greatest Shakespearean actors.
With each portrait being created in collaboration with the sitter, including Including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Derek Jacobi, Harriet Walter, each portrait uses fuses frozen moments of traditional portraiture with performance and modern cinematography, and all are augmented by the powerful brushstrokes of Shakespeare’s language.
In turn, each portrait seeks to to capture the sitter’s true spirit, essence, and human vulnerability, to create a deeply intimate connection with the viewer. Each piece is accompanied by by a speech chosen in collaboration with the sitter to help showcase the actor’s unique and personal connection to the text – whether it be a career-defining role or a long-aspired-to part.
The display is powered by StageBlock Studio’s proprietary new IP and ethical production model, each work is optimised for presentation as a physical framed digital work of art, seamlessly designed to sit among other traditional artworks.
Arsalan Sattari-Hicks, Creative Director & Co-Founder, StageBlock Studio, commented, “This collection is the culmination of profound collaborations with some of the most iconic actors of our time. The studio’s dedication to merging traditional portraiture and performance with pioneering technology has enabled us to bring the performing arts to the wider art market. This is only the beginning, with many renowned home-grown and international talents already in line for future collections.”