Maggie Williams is a British-Chinese visual artist based in the Lewisham Arthouse in South East London. Her practice explores themes surrounding cultural identity by embroidering materials linked to both cultures such as British tea bags and Chinese rice sacks/bags.
Maggie found Zealous through our previous initiative Zealous X, a multimedia arts festival that took over London’s Rich Mix in January 2016 for 10 days of music, exhibitions, panel discussions and keynote speeches. The focus on Zealous X was to bring together the most exciting minds in the UK and to create a new experience for the audience and leading thinkers.
Powered by Zealous, the application was simple and free, creating a low barrier of entry and encouraging creatives across all fields to apply. Cash flow was generated through selling ticket to the events, with a percentage of the fees going towards the various programs.
“I applied for Zealous X as a way to keep the momentum going with my artwork. The opportunity to exhibit in Shoreditch whilst meeting other artists was an opportunity I couldn’t miss!”
Maggie Williams
Maggie’s work ‘Mr Olympia’ was featured in the art exhibition, a series of cross-stitches on aida. The works challenge the perception of the annual international bodybuilding competition, as well as the extreme portrayal of masculinity in contrast with the effeminate art of embroidery.
“It helped give me confidence in what I was doing in terms of my practice. I also met some incredible fellow artists who I still keep in touch with today!”
Maggie Williams
Since being part of Zealous X Maggie has gone from strength to strength. She has worked towards her first ever residency: Basel Art Summer Camp in Switzerland. This community led initiative makes art more accessible (and affordable) during Art Basel. Maggie hosted an exhibition, workshops and live mural drawing.
Maggie also participated in a group show in Deptford called Rhizomizing en route. Curated by Stephanie Chung (Goldsmiths), the exhibition aimed to explore ambivalent relations between localities and sense of belonging and community. Maggie exhibited a new artwork depicting her “Holy Trinity” when it comes to Chinese cooking, and invited visitors to write down their food-related memories and recipes to share with the rest of the community.
