In conversation with Smile Plastics, Roz Barr and Liz West

4pm

Greenwich Peninsula’s NOW Gallery and Design District are collaborating with innovative materials studio Smile Plastics to reimagine and reuse Liz West’s exhibition installation creating a new recycled plastic product. The project will explore regenerative design can counter waste from displays and exhibitions.

Smile Plastics has been tasked with transforming the colour delight of Liz West’s vinyl -based installation at Greenwich Peninsula into a bespoke plastic panel. Translucent blue and semi opaque grey sheets of PET plastic encapsulate shards of the captivating rainbow coloured vinyl.

Join Smile Plastics Emily Skinner, designer Roz Barr and NOW Gallery curator Kaia Charles who will be in conversation with Liz West to discuss the project and how the art and design industries can collaborate to support regenerative design and the circular economy.

NOW Later design events invite creative practitioners and artists to document shifts, trends  and developments in the design and art sectors. Each iteration focusses on a specific studio practise, interrogating wider social constructs and challenges impacting the creative industries.

About Smile Plastics

Smile Plastics is one of the UK’s leading material design studios. The directors and head designers Adam Fairweather and Rosalie have been producing large-scale 100% recycled and recyclable decorative panels for retail, interior, furniture, and product design since 2014. 

The elegantly reimagined materials have gained a substantial following in the design industry and have allowed the pair to build up an enviable variety of clients, from gastro start-ups to premium brands like Christian Dior and Selfridges. They were recently awarded a prestigious Surface Design Award in February 2021. 

About Roz Barr

Roz Barr is the founder of Roz Barr Architects and her completed projects include Selfridge’s Cultural Hub, the V&A Fashion Gallery and the co-work space at London’s Building Centre. Barr is also the designer of Bureau, Design District’s members club for creatives.

About Liz West 

Liz West (b. 1985) is a British artist who graduated from Glasgow School of Art and whose body of work encompasses site-specific installations, sculpture, and wall-based artwork. Liz West has been commissioned worldwide by institutions and organisations including Natural History Museum, National Trust, National Science and Media Museum, London Design Festival, Natural England, Allied London, Grosvenor, British Land, Salford University, Leftcoast, Allenheads Contemporary Arts and Bristol Biennial. West’s work has been included in exhibitions with St Albans Museum + Gallery, University of Hertfordshire, Chester Cathedral, Compton Verney, Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces, Cornerhouse, Brunel University, Bury Art Museum & Sculpture Centre, UK Young Artists and Royal British Society of Sculptors in the UK, as well as internationally in Italy, Dubai, France, Germany, Spain, India and USA.

About Kaia Charles 

Kaia Charles is a Cultural projects commissioner and curator whose work is rooted in contemporary art practice.

Her work for Greenwich Peninsula involves fostering creative partnerships, bringing the work of emerging designers and artists who establish links with local communities in creative ways. 

Charles commissions site –specific art and architectural interventions for the public realm such as Hundreds and Thousands by Liz West, Promise Me Memories Yinka Ilori, Conrad Shawcross’ Optic Cloak, Siblings by Morag Myerscough, 33 by Studio Weave as well as artist hoardings by renowned illustrators Matt Blease, Jack Taylor and Ricardo Cavolo in 2016.

In 2019 Charles has curated ‘The Great Supper’ by Pakistani artist Sara Shakeel and continues to curate the annual Human Stories photographic series, most recently ‘Human Stories: Circa No Future’ featuring Caribbean photographer Nadia Huggins. She has also judged the 2019 Creative Review Photo Annual. In 2021, she joined the Design Council’s professional network as a design specialist. 

Charles also commissions a series of culturaI/design- led physical as well as digital festivals and  events for Greenwich including the Turning Tides Festival, the annual Urban Village Fete for Greenwich Peninsula and The Peninsulist Presents digital series.