Survival Techniques Exhibition

GMD alumnus Naomi Edmondson began legal street art project Survival Techniques almost 2 years ago after a period of feeling low. The paintings aim to promote hope and optimism.

“It started as a list I made for myself to remind me what to do when I was feeling really low: things that always made me feel a bit better” says Naomi, “They were always super simple things like ‘Talk to someone, anyone, about anything’ which came from me chatting to the guy in my local shop for a few minutes. I realised that I would leave the shop feeling much more a part of the world again”. After finding that friends found similar ‘Survival Techniques’ worked for them, Naomi began to think about ways of sharing the list, and after seeing a local street artist at work in East London, she decided that the street would be the best, most democratic place to share them. The first wall she painted was ‘Hide Less Chat More’, words from a friend with whom she first shared her Survival Techniques list. She now has many paintings spread across London.

Survival Techniques has now become an exhibition of paintings and screenprints of positive and uplifting statements and actions that aim to bring a little light to people having a dark day, at specialist print gallery ATOM (Hackney, London) from 7th October 2017.

The exhibition will feature original paintings (some existing, some new), along with some brand new limited edition screen prints that Naomi has been making with Mark and Richard from the gallery. She will also be painting a brand new piece in the garden of the gallery.

 All work will be for sale and 10% of all money raised by the exhibition will go to Rethink Mental Illness charity. The exhibition coincides with World Mental Health day on October 10th.