The heart of Art by Post lies in the 4500 strong community of participants that has grown up around the project, built through sharing their artwork, connecting in online workshops, and coming together in person to celebrate the opening of the exhibition at Southbank Centre.
Art by Post introductionary video (2021)
This short documentary film created by Ed Prosser introduces the Art by Post project through two personal narratives and featured in the exhibition. An audio described version of this film is also available here.
An Art by Post participant (2021)
Amanda
'The booklets made me see that art is everywhere and can be anything. I was changing the way I wore my clothes, my colourful Afro prints which I only used to wear in the summer were being worn with tights and jumpers through the winter. The colours were uplifting.'
Photography by Colin Thom
Rebecca
‘When we found out about Art by Post, we really loved the idea of using physical mail to build connections between people.’
Photography by Guy Oliver
Ross
‘I think of myself as having more pens than buttons to press. I’m a bit old school and I love the idea of a postal community. When I heard about Art by Post, it felt like a natural extension of what I was already doing as I’ve been involved in making mail art for 20 years.'
Ross' artwork from Art by Post (2021)
Ross
'Art by Post has made an astonishing difference to my life during the pandemic. Proud isn’t a word I use often, but I bloody am of this, if I’m honest.’
An Art by Post participant (2021)
Gita
'I started admiring my surroundings. I started admiring a tall tree from my window that I have always watched change with the seasons. I searched for its name and origin thinking 'this Lombardy Poplar tree doesn't have to answer the question 'Where are you from?'
Artwork by Gita
Listen to Gita's poem Roots in her own words, followed by a selection of other poetry read by participants.
Photography by Eoin Carey(1)
Mary and Simmi
'Once we found out about Art by Post through platform, Simmi became really prolific – there was no stopping her – she made picture after picture to send to them. I realised I had found what I had been looking for to meet my daughter’s needs.'
Photography by Eoin Carey
Mary
'She loved not just having a stimulus to respond to but the opportunity to make work that would be noticed. Even though Simmi wasn't meeting anybody in person, she felt part of a big family of artists making work in response to the difficult time we were living through.'
My Lockdown
Susan
'I had written poetry for more than 60 years, but to be given the chance to draw, use colour and make collages was amazing. Art by Post gave me the opportunity to produce art as well as consume it.'
Susan's artwork from Art by Post (2021)
Susan
'It also connected me to my brother in Australia as we would discuss my artistic efforts each month and he would show me what he had been doing. The benefits to my mental health and wellbeing during the last strange and unsettling 18 months is profound'
Luke
Luke Squire, an artist based in rural Devon, found the project through the art therapy group Flying Fish Artists. Invited to create a series of new paintings for the exhibition, Luke brings together his emotions and representations of the self in abstracted compositions.
Art by Post Installation at the Southbank Centre
Luke speaks of making and nature in a similar way: both are therapeutic, both put his mind at rest. Feeling spiritually connected to nature; the animals and landscapes he depicts are personal reflections of his life experiences and relationship to his own mental health.
An Art by Post participant (2021)
Luke
'Art by Post has helped me grow and put aside fears of not being good enough as a person and as an artist. I paint animals, especially horses, because they are magnificent and quietly powerful. I feel like I am now coming into my own power, spiritually and mentally, all thanks to Art by Post.'
Film shot and edited by James Kinsman. Rebecca, Ross and Mary & Simmi's stories were written by Mina Holland and are available to read in full here
Mina Holland is Deputy Editor of Guardian Feast. Holland writes about food, lifestyle and culture and is the author of The Edible Atlas, and Mamma: Reflections on the Food That Makes Us.