It can be tricky for young artists to navigate the industry – especially if they don’t have the right contacts or the benefit of being taught about the business side of the art world. East London’s Guts Gallery is at the forefront of supporting emerging artists from diverse backgrounds. Their upcoming exhibition, Buffer 2, is the second in a series of annual group shows dedicated to featuring the work of recent art graduates.

Founded by Ellie Pennick, the gallery was built with the aim of reinventing power structure and championing underrepresented voices. They describe the Guts’ ethos: “Shifting up the art world; supporting a new generation and collectors; flipping the percentages on representation; being very political, very vocal, and setting a standard that everybody should and can fulfil.”

At present, many artists are still exploited because they lack knowledge about how to navigate the commercial art world. By providing a yearly platform for recently graduated artists, Guts seeks to create an art world in which artists can thrive by knowing their own value and having the confidence to build fair and equitable relationships with galleries that reflect this value. Alongside the exhibition, the gallery is offering a free workshop that will bring together financial support and established artists to share their understanding of the essential skills required to navigate the art world.

While offering support exposure to the next wave of young art graduates, the pioneering gallery also intends the show as a means of calling out universities for their failure to support the students in their care. Despite the oversubscribed art courses, each year that passes sees art students receive less and less support or studio space.

Buffer 2 features the work of ten artists including Carolina Aguirre, Jesse Akele, Rong Bao and  BLCKGEEZER – each presenting visitors with a new perspective and a reminder to nurture talent and potential in its early stages, to broaden and diversify collections and build meaningful, supportive relationships with artists at the beginning of their careers.

By bringing these artists together in one space, Guts hopes to foster a new generation of artists; a generation that can navigate the art world with confidence and autonomy. 

Visit the gallery above for a closer look.

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