Next Exhibition - Anna Marrow Solo Show

Next Exhibition: Anna Marrow
Private View 7pm-9pm Thursday 19th Feb, exhibition opens Friday 20th February and runs throughout March.

Our next exhibition features the stunning screen prints from Bristol based printmaker, Anna Marrow. We are holding a private view on Thursday 19th February between 7pm and 9pm if you are in Bristol and would like to preview the exhibition first! There will be drinks and nibbles provided.

Anna Marrow is a printmaker, illustrator and image-maker based in Bristol. She studied Fine Art in Bristol, then Communication Design at Central Saint Martins, specialising in illustration and now prints at Spike Print Studio.

She works with household paints, biros, fine liners, pencil crayons and screen print. Most of the prints start off as biro and ink drawings in her sketch book, then turn into collages, and then screen prints.

Anna makes surprising, sometimes humorous or alarming images by combining mundane objects and environments with exotic creatures and characters. She like to pin point a specific moment in time and is drawn to objects from her childhood such as 70’s televisions, radios and cars which all feature heavily in her work, as do urban and suburban landscapes.

You can view some of the prints by Anna on our website here.

The Current Exhibition is Now OPEN!

The Current opened in glorious sunshine last Saturday and was a great success. All the prints are now available to buy on our website. Originals and framed pieces can only be purchased in the gallery. The Current runs in our gallery space on the first floor until 28th June.

The Current, a group exhibition coinciding with the 10th Birthday of Soma Gallery, brings together the work of five contemporary graphic artists. Adam Bridgland, Matthew Green, Adam Hayes, Lucy Gough and Jessica Wilson have all exhibited widely throughout the UK and internationally and have completed major commissions for clients such as Nike, Uniqlo, the Guardian and You Tube. They are also held in a number of important collections like the Victoria and Albert and the British Musuem. The Current is an exciting, fresh and vibrant exhibition showcasing recent works, including a number specially launched for this show.

View all the work on our website here

View all photos on Flickr here

The Current Opens This Saturday!

Next Exhibition: The Current

Next Exhibition: The Current
Featuring Adam Bridgland, Jess Wilson, Adam Hayes, Lucy Gough and Matthew Green
Opens Saturday 17th May and runs until 28th June

Jess Wilson (image top)

Jess Wilson graduated in 2006 and has been living and working in London ever since. Graduating from university with a 1st degree honours in Graphic design she started straight away getting her illustration work out there. Jess has worked with top clients producing big jobs for magazines, clothing ranges, prints, books and packaging. As well as working with clients Jess tries to get involved in as many exhibitions as possible and carrying out self initiated projects.




Adam Hayes

Adam Hayes is a specialist in hand-rendered typography and intricate, intelligent illustration.

His prolific work style has generated an impressive portfolio that reflects an interest in vernacular lettering and a fascination with urban and natural landscapes.

Adam’s creative process see’s his simple pencil sketches transformed and refined into elaborate and optimistic illustration. Each project is concept-driven, allowing his work to grow and maintain a sense of energy and sophistication.

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Adam has since established a diverse client base which welcomes collaboration with global companies, charitable organisations and small, local start-ups.




Adam Bridgland

Born in 1979, Adam Bridgland studied printmaking at Norwich School of Art & Design and then studied at the Royal College of Art (MA Fine Art Printmaking).

Since graduating in 2006, Bridgland has used a diverse range of materials and working methods to pursue an incisive and often witty exploration of distinctively British sentiments, externalising the underlying sense of loss and nostalgia that permeates our memories.

He has exhibited widely in the UK, America, Europe and Asia. The British Museum, the V&A, UBS, Boeing Asia and Debbie Harry are just some of the collectors of Adam's work. In July 2009 Adam was awarded his first major public art commission by Commissions East. He completed his second public art commission for SmartLIFE in Cambridge in November 2011.



Matthew Green

Matthew Green excels in producing beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, his signature style is often compared to wood-cut prints and etchings. Beyond this craftsmanship and at the heart of all of Matthew’s work lies an enormous sense of fun. He creates worlds and moments where fantasy can meet the most mundane; from a voyeuristic zebra who resides in an old wooden shed to a glamorous blue tit dining for one.



Lucy Gough

Lucy Gough studied Creative & Cultural Studies at Norwich School of Art and since graduating in 2002 has exhibited extensively throughout the UK and beyond.

Lucy’s most recent work draws inspiration from a variety of sources including architecture, industry and the solar system. The stylised representation of everyday objects and use of hand drawn type are recurrent themes in her artistic practice. The content of the text varies in its sentiment from poetic to purposeful to playfully ironic.

New Artist: Alice Pattullo

Alice Pattullo is the newest addition to Soma. She is an illustrator and printmaker based in London. Alice graduated in 2010 with a First Class Honours in Illustration from Brighton University.

Alice works predominantly in screen print producing limited edition prints for sale in various outlets across the UK and online. Research is at the heart of her practice and her work is often inspired by British folk tradition and superstition, 1930s American musicals and celebrity culture to name a few! She is inspired by mid-century design and strives to create a nostalgic aesthetic in her own work through colour choices and composition.

You can view all work by Alice on our website here

New Artist: Hazel Nicholls

Hazel Nicholls is one of our latest additions to the Soma artist lineup. She joined us at Pick Me Up where her screenprints proved very popular. The fluro pink Russian Doll print below was probably the most photographed piece on our stand!



Hazel Nicholls is 31 and lives in South East London. Thirteen years ago she moved from Northern Ireland to attend Camberwell College of Arts. She left Camberwell with a degree in Illustration. Hazel loves Real Ale, the seaside, ten pin bowling and of course a good pun. Her work is mostly influenced by a longstanding love of cross stitch and an interest in old phrases. Her designs have found themselves on limited edition prints, ceramics, textiles, packaging and more recently a giant fibre glass egg (as part of the Faberge Big Egg Hunt, 2012). She learnt how to screenprint four years ago and she hasn’t looked back since.



You can view all items by Hazel on our website here including silkscreen prints, tea towels and tape.

Beautiful New Prints by Rob Ryan

We have some new screen prints by Rob Ryan in the gallery and online.

Rob Ryan was born in 1962 in Akrotiri, Cyprus. He studied Fine Art at Trent Polytechnic and at the Royal College of Art, London where he specialised in Printmaking.

Since 2002 he has been working principally within the paper cutting medium. Although he views himself first and always as a fine artist, his intricate papercut work adapts itself readily to screenprinting which have then transferred to ceramics, fabrics, lasercutting and other surfaces.He has collaborated with Paul Smith, Liberty of London, Fortnum and Mason and Vogue along with many other established companies.

His work, often consisting of whimsical figures paired with sentimental, grave, honest and occasionally humourous pieces of writing he readily admits are autobiographical.

"We all really share only the same one story, my work only tells that story over and over."

He lives and works in London UK






You can view all Rob Ryan's prints on our website here.

We have ceramics and other items by Rob in the gallery and online. You can view everything by Rob Ryan on our site here.

New Lasercut by Rob Ryan

Rob Ryan has produced this beautiful new lasercut of which we have a few in Soma. The lasercut is signed (initialled) and numbered in an edition of 500. It is packaged in a yellow folder and tied up with pink ribbon and is yours for £84. This beautiful piece by Rob would make a fantastic present for others - or yourself!

You can find these lasercuts in our Bristol gallery or on our website here.

Or you can view all items by Rob Ryan at Soma on our website here.

Artist of the week: James Brown

The next printmaker in the rather infrequent series that is Artist of the Week is James Brown. We've just received some great new prints from him and some new totes. We've been selling James' work for a few years now and he's always been very popular!


The Man, linocut print


Way Out, linocut print


Unexpected Item, silkscreen printed tote bag in 2 colourways

London based James Brown is an illustrator and printmaker. He trained as a textile and surface print designer and worked in the clothing industry for 10 years producing print designs for numerous brands from Levis to Louis Vuitton.

After two years at Hope & Glory menswear James embarked on a new career as an illustrator in 2007. James has been commissioned to produce work by publishing houses, magazines and newspapers and advertising and design agencies. Recent clients include Oxfam, Cancer Research, The Guardian and Faber & Faber.

Alongside his commercial practice James produces limited edition screen prints and linocuts. James' prints reflect his interest in the printed and typographic ephemera of pop culture. The traditional processes that go into the production of James’ prints are very important.


Pointers, silkscreen print

The below prints are a little older but still very popular!


Bags, lino cut print


Me & You, silkscreen print


Viking, silkscreen print

You can view all James Brown prints at Soma here.

Sunny Side Up by Andy Smith exhibiton preview evening

Last Friday evening we held the private view of our new exhibition, 'Sunny Side Up' by Andy Smith. It's no mean feat filling the entire first floor gallery space, especially for a single artist! We've been selling Andy's work for quite a few years now and he's been involved in the last couple of Christmas Shows so it's great to finally have the space to have a big show of his work. And almost everything was created for this show!

Although the weather wasn't on our side, those who braved the rain were treated to a great show and refreshments including Juiceology juices (who we loved at the ACOFI book tour!).


Almost the whole show!


Wooden Blue Moose head, prints, Push to Quit wooden butons, Everyone Gets Lonely totes, They Went That Way arrows, Warning blocks


Hand painted wooden goldfish bowl, This Way & That Way birds, other prints by Andy Smith in browser


They Went That Way arrows


Andy Smith at the private view


Some guests at the private view enjoying the Juiceology drinks


Stickers and postcards for the private view guests

All the artwork in the show is available to view and purchase on our website here

You can see more photos of the show on Flickr here

To read more about the show read post here

Creative Review featured the show on their blog here

Visit Juiceology's wesite here

More Sunny Side Up Teasers!

Here's a handfull of teasers for the Andy Smith show which opens this Saturday with the private view on Friday evening 6-9pm.


The Lonely Goldfish, enamel paint on wood


Push to Quit, silkscreen on wood and varnished


This Way, enamel paint on wood


That Way, enamel paint on wood


They Went That Way, hanging sign, screenprinted and varnished


Shoot The Breeze, silkscreen print

Sunny Side Up by Andy Smith Private View Friday 24th June

‘Sunny Side Up’
Exhibition by Andy Smith at Soma Gallery, Bristol
25th June 2011 – 20th August 2011

Private View Friday 24th June 6-9pm

Next Friday we will be hosting the private view for our new exhibition by Andy Smith. Our customers (and those of you reading this!) are invited to this preview for a browse of the work, to meet Andy in person and to have a few drinks and nibbles.

The artwork will be available to view and buy on the website over the weekend for those of you not able to get to Bristol.

Hastings based illustrator Andy Smith studied at Brighton University and the Royal College of Art. When not busy working for clients such as Orange, Nike, McDonalds, The Guardian and Faber and Faber he can be found in his studio by the sea in Hastings printing books and posters which he has exhibited in the UK, France, USA and Australia. Specialising in silkscreen printing Andy’s work combines illustration and typography to create images with humour, energy and optimism, executed with a handmade tactile feel. Illustrating for 12 years, his work has won D&AD, Creative Circle and AOI awards and been featured in numerous books and publications.

His summer show at Soma Gallery in Bristol will include a set of 12 new large artworks, hand screenprinted by Andy and featuring his distinct hand lettering and visuals. They deal with bold statements, strange visitors, warnings from gurus, the thoughts of Captain Scott and other random themes. Accompanying these prints will be an eclectic collection of new 3D arrows and moose heads, totes, stickers and one sad lonely, goldfish.





There's a couple more teaser images on our flickr page here.

View all prints by Andy Smith at Soma Gallery.