LONDON, ENGLAND.- The Gallery at the Prince Bonaparte, sponsored by Absolut, is a new and exciting way of enjoying contemporary art. Forget stuffy galleries and be inspired by original and refreshing art in a friendly relaxed pub atmosphere. This series of cutting edge contemporary art exhibitions will bring together four contemporary artists residing in West London: Manuel Norega, Barney McMahon Steven Morris and Evy Jokhova. 

On the night of the Launch party a selection of pieces from all the artists will be presented. These pieces will be on show for the first month to wet your appetite for the series of exhibitions to come.  

Each individual artist will then exhibit their work for a period of three weeks, throughout the Pub Art winter season. These exhibitions will be interspersed by weeklong displays of student art from some of London’s most exciting up and coming artists.  

It’s simple – experience a truly original Launch night, see some inspiring art and come back to one of London’s best known gastro pubs for more.  

Manuel Norega (b. 1969, Cadiz, Spain) been influenced heavily by the movement and theatricality of flamenco dancing. This can be seen in all of his work, through the colours he uses to reflect movement and passion. Having studied in Spain, Manuel moved to London to further his work and went on to study Art at the London Institute Chelsea College of Art and Design. Since then he has established many collectors from all over the world. Dreams and surreal concepts that arise within them are the focus for his latest work. The way that Manuel applies his techniques to his surreal and abstract themes result in a truly magical _expression of himself. 

Barney McMahon (1974) is as passionate a devotee of the mural art form as the great Mexican Diego Rivera. Barney’s relationship with paint started with graffiti. His passion for the urban landscape led to the Notting Hill project - the vivid 10-foot mural next to Pharmacy (Damien Hurst’s restaurant). A graduate of Central St. Martins Art School and Rhode Island School of Design, Barney cites cinema, music and the London hip hop scene as his sources of inspiration. His paintings are colourful melanges of life, which capture the fascinating diversity of his characters within their vibrant worlds.  

Evy Jokhova (b 1984):although she grew up in Austria , Evy comes from a predominantly Russian background, These diverse cultural influences are reflected in her work, Evy’s art is mainly concerned with interaction between people, their perception of the society they are surrounded by and their acceptance or rejection of the reality they were put up to face. Currently a student at the Saint Martins College of Art, she has held to exhibitions in Vienna, Austria. 

Steven Morris (b 1974) grew up in a creative environment surrounded by textiles, fashions and craft and this has had great influence on his treatment of colour and the canvas as a conveyor of movement – the flux of contemporary life. After finishing a fine art degree at Central St Martins in 1999, he worked as a freelance graphic designer & artist. His cutting edge print designs have been sold to shops such as Jones & American Classics. 

Steven has lived in the Westbourne Grove area for many years and has most recently exhibited his work at the Lethaby Gallery and the Notting Hill Arts Club. As a keen observer of contemporary trends in subculture and design, his current work has been influenced by the ever-changing lifestyles and environment of this vibrant area of London. 

Student art - The Gallery at the Prince Bonaparte has come up with an innovative scheme as part of its initiative to create a more accessible space for enjoying art. Each month during this Pub Art season, a competition will be held involving students from London’s top art schools. The theme and format will be the design of swing board for outside the pub itself. The works of the winner and short listed group will be on show in the gallery for one week.