Wicked Changes V: Exploring Changing Narratives in East London

Felstead Art is pleased to present Wicked Changes V, an exhibition exploring how artists respond to current urban and social challenges. The much-visited narratives of change in East London, in particular Hackney Wick, are those of redevelopment; who is involved in creating new voices for the area, and who is left behind. This exhibition presents a select group of artists from the East London Art Society, whose works define their observations and responses to the physical and social changes in their neighbourhood. 

Presented in dialogue with the London Festival of Architecture, Wicked Changes V considers the dynamics of change within the built environment of East London, asking which actors have become decision makers, who benefits, and who bears the cost. From the impact of gentrification to the erosion of creative spaces, from environmental pressures to the rising cost of living, the exhibition series foregrounds the lived experiences of artists who continue to navigate and resist the currents of displacement and transformation. 

East London has long been celebrated for its layered histories of migration, industry, and creativity. Its rich and complex demographic continues to find new ways of building solidarity through artistic practice. As local creative capital is perpetually threatened by redevelopment, the need for community support and collective agency remains urgent. 

This is a call to preserve the voice of the artist - an invitation to listen, to look, and to reckon with how power flows through the streets, buildings, and stories of East London today. 

CIAN O’NEILL (Irish) 

Cian O’Neill, an Irish painter, writer, and musician based in Hackney Wick, London, focuses on oil painting and works on paper. His art merges anatomy, botany, and architectural forms into thematically coherent series, influenced by a range of painters from photorealism to surrealism. Although grounded in painterly tradition, Cian’s work inhabits a unique space with its own distinct logic, creating such architectonic works that explore and observe the urban environment around us. 

DANNY PURTILL (British) 

Purtill’s life and art are a continuous journey of discoveries. Born in West London and raised in Ireland, he initially trained as a professional chef before switching to decorative arts, which eventually took him to Paris as a scenic artist. This led him to apply his skills to fine art. Now based in East London, Danny’s work explores themes ranging from autobiographical experiences to observations of human frailty and emotions, with exhibitions across Europe and the US. Most poignantly his work also highlights the pitfalls of gentrification, the promise of a better community, and how much of the community cannot afford to live and survive in the area anymore. 

DWAYNE BROWN (British, b. 1967) 

Dwayne Brown’s photography captures the evolving landscape of East London, focusing on the boroughs of Newham, Hackney, and Tower Hamlets, where he was born and raised. Through images of gentrification, new developments, and multicultural vibrancy, Dwayne documents the transformation of the area, rediscovering hidden streets and open spaces that reflect the changing face of his hometown. 

GRAHAM DUNCAN ELDER (British, b. 1981) 

Graham Duncan Elder is a London based painter whose work merges abstraction and figuration to explore memory, identity, and presence. Growing up in East London during a time of cultural flux, Graham absorbed influences from street art, music, and underground visual culture, which continue to echo through his work today. A graduate of Hull School of Art & Design, Graham has developed a distinctive practice marked by stylised figures and fragmented spaces. His compositions balance bold colour, pattern, and expressive forms, demonstrating an engagement with the passage of time and the fragility of human connection. 

JAIME EASTWOOD (British) 

Jaime Eastwood is a British painter based in London. A graduate of City & Guilds of London Art School, he has exhibited in group shows across the city and worked from studios in Bermondsey and Hackney Wick. Jaime is now completing his masters from RCA. His practice blends painting with philosophy, using art as a space for reflection, questioning, and emotional depth. Influenced by Romanticism, eroticism, and existential thought, Eastwood draws on thinkers like Jung, Bataille, and Kant, alongside cinematic references from David Lynch and Werner Herzog. Ritual, experience, and reading are central to his process, shaping a body of work that cultivates a vision of love, connection, and the search for meaning. 

JEANETTE BARNES (British, b. 1961) 

Jeanette Barne’s work captures the evolving urban landscape, using movement to explore how our surroundings shape experiences. Her large-scale drawings immerse viewers in this dynamic, while her playful monoprints focus on energy and unfolding events. Based in Hackney Wick for 20 years, she has documented the Olympic site’s development and East Bank. A graduate of the Royal Academy Schools and Royal College of Art, Jeanette has exhibited widely, won awards, teaches at the Royal Drawing School, and co-authored City Sketching Reimagined. 

LORNA ROBERTSON (British, b. 1986) 

Lorna Robertson is a British painter and illustrator based in Hackney Wick, East London. A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Lorna works primarily in oil and explores the space between realism and abstraction through geometric compositions and stylised portraiture. Her work often draws parallels between visual art and music. In 2025, Lorna held her first solo show, Painting Music, at Arbeit Studios, translating musical structures into painted form. She is also the co-founder and artwork designer of jazz label D.O.T. Records, creating vinyl and print editions with musician Nick Walters. Her work has featured at the London Design Festival, Salone del Mobile, and the War Child Secret 7” show at NOW Gallery, and is held in collections worldwide. 

MATTHEW PAYNE (British, b.1986) 

Matt Payne captures authentic moments that reveal connections within communities. His work spans portraiture, documentary, and aerial imagery, focusing on how perspective alters perception. Matt’s emotionally evocative videos and images have been exhibited in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and East London, and featured in various publications. Matt’s aerial photographs of Hackney Wick endeavour to elicit emotion and understanding of the changing environments and architecture in the area. 

PETE BENNETT (British, b. 1966) 

Pete Bennett is a London-based artist, musician, writer, and climber. Born in Blackpool, the surreal atmosphere of his seaside upbringing and the raw energy of East London continue to shape his visual work. Alongside his art practice, he founded Climbing for Wellbeing, a mental health initiative rooted in movement and community. A graduate of Chelsea School of Art, Pete’s work gained the recognition of fellow artists Billy Childish and Peter Doig, offering to curate shows of his work. Childish described his paintings as “simple gifts that can be at turns beautiful, ugly and indifferent; as if composed by a drunken man on a moonlit stroll, who, intoxicated as much be the night air as by wine and beer, sings uninhibited ditties to the stars. Whether full of harmony or violent discord, they are always beautiful, assured and better than we deserve. 

RAINER STOLLE (German, b. 1966) 

Rainer Stolle is a German visual artist based in London. Trained in Graphic Design in Germany and later earning an MA from Central Saint Martins, his work spans visual effects for film (Game of Thrones, Avatar), digital fashion, and illustration. He explores the intersection of digital and analogue processes, recently turning to figurative oil painting after a residency in Florence. Life drawing has been central to his practice since 2000. Rainer’s approach is intuitive and emotionally driven, using spontaneous mark-making to express the complexity of human experience. Each drawing captures a moment shaped by the model’s presence and his own emotional state.