A Tale of Two Southwarks is an exhibition of oil paintings, photographs and mixed media works by Suchi Chidambaram and John Pheasant.
Southwark's 'two cities' - its glittering redevelopments with their thriving business sector on the one hand and the pockets of poverty and deprivation on the other - are well documented. The inspiration for the exhibition is the incisive report, 'A Tale of Two Southwarks, A needs analysis of the London Borough of Southwark, to which Roast's Founder, Iqbal Wahhab, referred Suchi early in 2017.
‘Southwark is a product both of its rich history and a modern makeover.' In forging its future, exclusion and isolation are seen as dangers, whilst 'those most likely to feel a high sense of satisfaction are those who feel they belong to their neighbourhood'.
Inspired by the borough's diversity, contrasts and challenges, Suchi, an oil painter, and John, a photographer, set out to capture the two Southwarks visually for an exhibition specically designed for the space in Roast in Borough Market. Their ambition is to encourage visitors to Roast to reect on the borough's diversity and contrasts, to engage with its challenges and, hopefully, to be part of the solution and to oer support to Southwark Giving.
