25/01/25 - 16/03/25 Quench Gallery Margate

“Warm N Easy “ Acrylic on Canvas 100 x 130cm”

“Leicester, 1998 I attended my first ever jungle rave - Urban Shakedown’s ‘Hysteria’. A found video online depicting this moment inspired me to capture this sense of hope & revolution, to create paintings using the film’s visuals, in conjunction with sound works and moving image, re-animating scenes from Hysteria.”

This series of works invites the viewers on a visual journey through the realms of personal and subcultures exploring ideas of youth, class, memory and nostalgia, it highlights optimism & transformative moments that can alter society.

Chinatree aims to evoke a palette that reflects the bass-heavy underground movement, artificial lighting and a sense of the unknown going hand in hand with the uncertainty of teenage years. At that time, pioneers of a new music genre looked to the future, with nods to outer space, and ideas

of otherworldly beings, all of which are reflected in this work. The Crystallisation of the urban experience is layered and sampled, reconnecting it with the present. Working-class youth - black, brown and white united to dance is a testament to sound system culture and the creation of a new reality reflecting urban Britain, black roots & experimental sounds.

With close ties to Leicester, Chinatree’s hometown, the work is supported by research and recordings from original attendees, event organisers, the venue’s history and future plans. Blending new footage, lived experiences and digital memories.

Described by many as one of the darkest raves attended “Some shadow demon business”, the work illuminates its legacy.