Anthea Hamilton The Garden

Anthea Hamilton was inspired by the vernacular gardens of South London. Hamilton moves between reference points which include walled kitchen gardens, the rich colours and bold geometry of 70s design, and organic surfaces such as charred oak, which nod to the architecture and materials of Studio Voltaire’s 19th Century gallery. The garden’s raised beds, pergola, seating areas, fountain and tiled walkway are defined by their formal structures and tactile finishes, reflecting Hamilton’s generous approach to materiality.

Planters formed from handset yellow quartzite pebbles draw from folk art sculptures assembled from stones and shells, as well as elaborate pebble mosaics. Throughout the space, Hamilton has made use of ochre-coloured ExCinere tiles. Produced by design company Dzek in collaboration with Milan-based studio Formafantasma, these volcanic ash-glazed ceramics draw from lava’s long and rich history as a building material. At the garden’s centre, the tiled fountain includes a unique cast bronze font shaped like a cauliflower. This playful gesture continues a long-standing motif in Hamilton’s practice, with squashes, mushrooms and lichen all previously featured in her work.

Hamilton invited artist Nicholas Byrne to design a gate for the garden, forming a second entrance from the south, which further opens up the garden to our immediate neighbourhood. The gate takes its sinuous design from onion plants, as well as the metal loops found along the garden walls lining the adjacent William Bonney Estate.

The planting scheme combines ornamental flowers with edible plants and fruit trees. We are working with a local gardener to grow many different varieties of vegetables, fruit and herbs onsite, which change with each season, and are harvested for use by our onsite artists. Subject to the varying growing cycles and life–spans of plants, the garden is a long–term and ongoing commitment. We hope to provide a place for playful, unexpected and inspiring encounters with art beyond the gallery in a space open to all our neighbours and visitors.