ART CLUB @ BEAUBEAUS: Community through Creativity

BeauBeaus, in as much as it’s a cosy modern café, represents a hub for creativity to blossom, offering a space for like-minded individuals to connect and share their passion for art. Teoni, along with fellow London-based artist and BeauBeau’s founder, Slawn, represents one of the hosts of the Art Club — a London-based fine artist whose artwork romanticises the everyday, creating figurative expressions reflecting the milieu of her upbringing and the people closest to her. When speaking about founding the Art Club, Teoni said “when we were growing up, we didn’t really have a space where we were allowed to just make art, or, you know, somewhere where we could help deal with our problems through de-stressing and making art. We just wanted to make a space that our six-year-old self would have wanted”. For Teoni, the Art Club represents a welcoming environment free of pressure: “I don't really force people or tell people what to do, but all I ask is if you can draw or paint something that you can actually see in the room. We just have fun, connect, communicate and make friends — anyone's welcome”.

It's this welcoming atmosphere that sees creatives from all stages in their career under one roof, creating a community where knowledge can be freely shared. When speaking about this, Teoni said “I had tutors growing up, and even though they weren't really in the young cool kids’ space, they really helped me with all the knowledge that they provided me. So I want to do the same for other people, because I know when I was that age or coming up, I really wanted to know how to do certain things — how I can paint like this? How do I get into this gathering? What’s the right name for me? So, yeah, I think it’s really important”. It’s a community spirit that’s extended globally beyond BeauBeaus’ London home, with Art Club sessions hosted in Lagos, Amsterdam and Paris. Speaking about this, Teoni said “I'm so grateful that I can travel and do these things. I just want to be able to provide these spaces all around the world, really, that's the end goal — to create communities in places where they don’t exist”. This ethos of providing opportunities runs throughout everything the Art Club does, “I just want to create a place where people can get opportunities from this space. I hope we can do more exhibitions, take over more spaces and also provide an official educational career. That really is a long-term goal of mine”, said Teoni.

Speaking with regulars and close friends of the Art Club at BeauBeaus, you get a real sense for the community spirit at its core. Emily Stanissavjevic, a visual artist and storyteller whose work reflects her own experiences and relationships, said “T and the Art Club represent a safe space where I can truly be myself, create art and just have fun. I never have to worry about anyone there judging me. It's such a supportive environment, and it's also just a constant source of inspiration to me. I get the opportunity to be surrounded by so many talented young artists, and I think that constantly makes me want to raise the standard of my own work. It's just a beautiful community, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it”.

Another artist who forms a regular at the Art Club is Aaron Odoi, a creative originally from Ghana and now based in London. “My art is about my experiences growing up in two countries — both being wildly different from each other — and just trying to grasp and understand these environments around me”, said Aaron. Much like Emily, community plays an integral part of the Art Club experience for Aaron: “the community aspect is important, because it allows you to find your people, it allows you to bounce off each other, bounce off different artists and get a new perspective on something you probably hadn't considered. It's wonderful because I get a fresh perspective on my own work, and I can give others a fresh perspective on theirs. I've made so many friends through this community. It's amazing”.

For young artists Like Santanna, a 19-year-old painter, the Art Club at BeauBeaus has played a big part in developing skills and building a creative network. “Without Art Club, I wouldn't have known a lot of the people that I'm still close with today, and I wouldn't have developed skills I've now learned — for example, life drawing, or picking up charcoal and biro and using it to my advantage to create my art style", said Santanna. “I first started attending Art Club last year, and I've been going ever since. It's really provided me with a space to create art without it being perfect or a masterpiece, because usually I'm used to working on pieces that take months and months to create. Being at Art Club, you're in a space where you create a piece in maybe five or ten-minute intervals, and you have to work under pressure and be settled with the fact that you don't have a lot of time working on it”.

For many, BeauBeaus and its Art Club serve as ways of building relationships with like-minded creatives: “one of my favourite memories of Art Club was when I first pulled up with a random guy I met on Instagram and left with a friend”, said Ghislain, artist and BeauBeaus regular. He also speaks about the way in which the Art Club bridges the gap between artists at different stages in their career: “Art Club is important for all artists as there's no judgement. Everyone appreciates talent no matter what stage they're at in their careers. Spaces like BeauBeaus are important because it's a safe place where people can take a first step and be motivated to answer their passions. To me, building a community is important because Art Club is like an educational program where people can come and learn social or art skills, and I want to help offer that to as many people as possible”.