Featured Stories & Creative Interviews

Explore inspiring artist stories, award-winning creative work, and essential industry insights. From emerging talent to practical guides for arts organizations

  • Houses of Kadıköy

    Houses of Kadıköy

    Zealous Stories: Painting winner, Edinburgh-based artist Emily Moore, creates arresting landscape paintings using an amalgamation of personal source images and experiences. Moore’s creative process allows her to recall each place and combine them to create new, anonymous landscapes.

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  • Ghosts in the Graveyard

    Ghosts in the Graveyard

    Zealous Stories: Craft winner, Linda Southwell, creates intricate porcelain sculptures based on plant and flower structures. She works from memory, developing flowers that are unique to her. Linda’s work celebrates her identity as a female artist and her fascination with…

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  • Oasis

    Oasis

    Zealous Stories Illustration winner, Jie Gao, is a London based visual artist and graphic designer. Her winning series, Oasis, uses digital art techniques to express deep-seated loneliness, as the main character gradually looses herself, paralysed by the modern world.

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  • Fairy Words

    Fairy Words

    Zealous Stories: Short Story winner, Kate MacRitchie, grew up in a small town in the heart of Scotland – a place of Fingalian legend and high, windy fields. Her writing is driven by the shadow selves we keep secret, collective…

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  • September / October Highlights

    September / October Highlights

    It’s been a while! With museums, galleries and art spaces reopening to the public, you may want to dip your cultural toes back into the art world’s waters. If you’re struggling with what to check out first (both online and…

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  • The Story of Miss Ruby Ribbon

    The Story of Miss Ruby Ribbon

    Zealous Stories: Print winner, Rebecca Carrington, blends prints and embellishments into lively womenswear designs with an innovative twist. Her winning collection, ‘The story of Miss Ruby Ribbon’, is based on a playful narrative, inspired by her childhood and a tribute…

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  • A Networked Performance

    A Networked Performance

    Zealous Stories: Digital Art winner, Francesca Fini, is an interdisciplinary artist focused on experimental cinema, installation and performance art. Conceived during lockdown, her winning work is a fascinating exploration of the deserted Italian squares.

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  • The Power of Performance

    The Power of Performance

    Zealous Stories: Performance winner, Lanre Malaolu, is a director, choreographer, writer and performance artist based in London. Lanre’s work is an unflinching exploration of social and political worldviews, which aims to enhance, challenge and rouse conversation about our own ideals.

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  • The Fragile Texture of our Desires

    The Fragile Texture of our Desires

    Zealous Stories: Sculpture winner, Camilla Hanney, is an Irish artist living and working in London. Camilla’s practice explores themes of time, sexuality, cultural identity and the corporeal. Her winning installation investigates both the fragility of the human condition and the…

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  • Exploring the Rocky Outcrops

    Exploring the Rocky Outcrops

    Zealous Stories: Mixed Media winner, Alysia Webster, is a visual artist based in Northern England. Alysia’s energetic work aims to recreate the feeling of being immersed in the landscape, and the ever-changing weather against the unyielding mass of the mountains.

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  • English Journey

    English Journey

    Zealous Stories Photography winner, John Angerson, explores the different languages of documentary photography, focusing on how specific communities form, shift and develop. John sets out to report England as it really is, and was; embracing the spirit of English novelist…

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  • Woodpecker

    Woodpecker

    Zealous Stories: Design winner, Rihards Vitols, is driven by the desire to design speculative devices for different environments. He utilises scientific methodology to explore the relationship between nature and technology.

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  • March Must-sees

    March Must-sees

    Looking to soak up some culture? We’ve rounded up five exhibitions for you to check out this February / March. Featuring nostalgic ceramics, modern craft, sketching workshops and much more.

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  • The Dictionary

    The Dictionary

    Zealous Stories: Animation winner, Xiaoying Liang, is a graphic designer whose work destabalises, stretches and interrogates the boundaries of day-to-day objects created by their dictionary definitions. Xiaoying playfully questions the authority of the dictionary, defining her practice through this project…

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  • Forces of Nature

    Forces of Nature

    Contemporary landscape painter, Tori Tipton, explores our emotional response and attitudes towards the natural environment.  Her work is an amalgamation of recollections, observations and experiences. Amidst these ambivalent forces of nature, one can retreat from civilization and reconnect with the…

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  • A Crafty Christmas

    A Crafty Christmas

    Get into the festive spirit this December and explore the array of Christmas markets and winter fairs that the UK has to offer! Whether you’re looking for gift inspiration, or simply want to indulge in mince pies and mulled wine…

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  • The Language of Making

    The Language of Making

    Zealous Stories: Craft winner, Steven Edwards, aims to share the material / maker relationship with the viewer by creating work that emphasizes implied movement. Fascinated by process-led making, he uses traditional techniques to explore unanticipated outcomes.

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  • Unmissable Shows for October / November

    Unmissable Shows for October / November

    From digital art festivals to printmaking demonstrations, there’s plenty to see this October / November. To save you time sifting through the abundance of events, we’ve compiled a list of unmissable shows to enhance your cultural calendar.

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  • Dones d’Aigua

    Dones d’Aigua

    Zealous Stories: Illustration winner, Sonia Alins, is focused on the creation of art with a poetic narrative. Sonia’s aim, is that through the relationship between the figures and aquatic medium, the viewer can experience the soul, emotion and energy of…

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  • Your September Schedule

    Your September Schedule

    We know it can be difficult to keep up with the countless cultural events happening around the UK. To help you out, we’ve compiled 4 must-see shows for your September schedule.

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  • How Love Loses Itself

    How Love Loses Itself

    On a quest to rediscover her creativity, Zealous Stories: Short Story winner, Catherine Sleeman, is an experimental writer and dancer. Catherine is interested in the connection that can be formed between words and movement. Her work, Chemistry, delves into the…

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  • August Summer Schedule

    August Summer Schedule

    With summer In full swing, why not take the time to check out what the art world has to offer? Here’s a look at five current displays that are sure to keep your month interesting!

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  • A Search for Structure

    A Search for Structure

    Zealous Stories: Print winner, Carol Wyss, adopts the human skeleton as the framework through which she examines the relationship of human structures to their surroundings. Through her methodical search for what holds things together, Carol broadens the possibilities for interpretation.

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  • Our Top Picks for July

    Our Top Picks for July

    If you’re looking to add some creativity to your summer schedule, look no further! From plein air painting to award winning illustrations, here are four exhibitions that are sure to keep you busy this July.    

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  • Dirt: A Graphic Novel

    Dirt: A Graphic Novel

    Artist and Illustrator Lewis Darley is the winner of the Cass Art Award and the Batsford Prize 2019.  His winning project “Dirt” is a graphic novel which explores the whimsical tale of Percy and Sue as they navigate a series…

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  • Must-sees for May

    Must-sees for May

    From classical music ensembles to London Craft Week panels, there’s plenty of creativity in the air this month. If you’re looking to soak up some culture, the search ends here. We’ve compiled our top-picks to elevate your calendar, so go…

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  • Dust: Transforming Contemporary Dance

    Dust: Transforming Contemporary Dance

    Zealous Stories: Digital winners, Andrej Boleslavský and Mária Júdová have been investigating the creative potential of technology for over a decade. Their work combines the exploration of technologically informed dance practices with participatory performances, body movement, time and space.

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  • April’s Dose of Creativity

    April’s Dose of Creativity

    There’s plenty to see this month, so we’ve made whittling down your options a whole lot simpler with our top 5 picks for April! Immerse yourself within a fusion of hip hop and spoken word, explore China’s digital realm and…

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  • Illustrating the Everyday

    Illustrating the Everyday

    Introducing four illustrators on Zealous who consistently produce engaging work and seamlessly merge illustration with storytelling. These artists share an inviting playful aesthetic, illuminating familiar themes encountered in everyday life.

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  • Recreating Natural Phenomena

    Recreating Natural Phenomena

    Zealous Stories Sculpture winner, Daria Jelonek, is a media artist, researcher and designer based in London. Her work is situated in the field of interactive design and immersive art installations, often focusing on the relationship between nature and technology.

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  • Top Picks For Your March Cultural Calendar

    Top Picks For Your March Cultural Calendar

    If your March calendar is looking a little lacklustre, don’t panic! We’ve compiled our top 5 picks for the month so that you can schedule in your weekly dose of creative culture without lifting a finger! From architectural storytelling to…

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  • Marta Soul on the Interplay Between Reality and Fiction

    Marta Soul on the Interplay Between Reality and Fiction

    Marta Soul, participant in the artist-led project 209 Women, creates photographs which generate visual reflections of the interaction between social constructs, aesthetics and behaviour. Born in Madrid and based in the UK, Marta’s relationship with people is essential to raising profound…

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  • Sculptural Landscapes and Performative Spaces

    Sculptural Landscapes and Performative Spaces

    Meet Candida Powell-Williams, winner of Mother Art Prize 2018, hosted by Procreate Project on Zealous. Candida creates sculptural landscapes which function as platforms for performance. By referring to our identity as subjects straddling physical and digital culture, Candida confronts the…

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  • Fulfil your creativity with these 5 exhibitions to visit this February

    Fulfil your creativity with these 5 exhibitions to visit this February

    We’ve tried to pick just 5 excellent exhibitions for you to catch in February 2019 so that you can get some creative inspiration for the year ahead. From London to Liverpool, we think we’re sure there’ll be something for you!

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  • Ariadna Dane on Organic Wreaths and Imitating Nature

    Ariadna Dane on Organic Wreaths and Imitating Nature

    Meet Ariadna Dane, UK based artist and winner of Zealous Stories Mixed Media. Through her upbringing in Siberia, Ariadna has discovered a deep-rooted connection to nature that is fundamental to her ever-evolving practice. Ariadna creates organic forms that are reminiscent…

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  • Meet Chynna Guyat

    Meet Chynna Guyat

    Meet Chynna Guyat, Brighton based Photographer and winner of Zealous Stories Photography. Practicing between Brighton and London, Chynna’s style is heavily influenced by film, showing how even the most basic moments could be a scene from a film through colour, style, composition and…

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  • 5 of the best exhibitions to go to this December

    5 of the best exhibitions to go to this December

    A roundup of the best exhibitions to go to in December 2018 across the UK.

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  • Flashback to Frieze – Ones to watch

    Flashback to Frieze – Ones to watch

    A look back at Frieze 2018 through the eyes of curator/business development manager Toby, who went to the Fair to pick out some brilliant art galleries to look out for in the future.

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  • 7 exhibitions not to miss this November

    7 exhibitions not to miss this November

    With the amount of amazing art in the UK, it’s hard to keep up with what exhibitions are on and when exhibitions close. In an aim to reduce the number of times we hear ‘I can’t believe I missed that!’,…

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  • Meet Yijin Huo

    Meet Yijin Huo

    Meet Yijin Huo, Product and Experience Designer and winner of Zealous Stories Ceramics. Based between London and Beijing, Yijin focuses on data visualisation, material research, emotional expression, cultural experience and cross-sectoral experiments, presented in the form of product design, spatial…

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  • Meet Oskar Krajewski

    Meet Oskar Krajewski

    Meet Oskar Krajewski, winner of It’s Art Call 2018, hosted by The Cult House on Zealous. Inspired by visions, dreams, technological and spiritual studies and practice, Oskar invests his time in solid and complex sculptures that are thought-provoking, interactive and incredibly…

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  • 5 exhibitions to catch this October

    5 exhibitions to catch this October

    With the amount of amazing art in the UK, it’s hard to keep up with what exhibitions are on and when exhibitions close. In an aim to reduce the amount of times we hear ‘I can’t believe I missed that!’,…

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  • Meet Phil Vernon

    Meet Phil Vernon

    Phil has been engaged in development and humanitarian work for over thirty years, and much of his work focuses on conflict and how we, as humans respond to it. Writing has played a significant role in his professional life and…

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  • 5 exhibitions you should go to this September

    5 exhibitions you should go to this September

    We’ve compiled our top 5 exhibitions you should go to this September 2018 so, if you are stuck for where to go, refer to this and you’ll have something to go to every week!

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  • Meet Michelle Loa Kum Cheung

    Meet Michelle Loa Kum Cheung

    Meet Michelle Loa Kum Cheung, winner of the the Secret Art Prize 2018, hosted by Curious Duke Gallery on Zealous. Michelle creates fictional environments exploiting the tactility and raw materiality of wood. Using techniques including pyrography and painting, her art focuses…

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  • Meet Jess Burgess

    Meet Jess Burgess

    Meet Jess Burgess, MA Fine Art graduate and winner of the first Zealous Stories, open to UK-based painters. Jess’ practice asks questions surrounding the virtual screen, and has in turn driven her desire to explore painting as a slower medium.…

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  • 10 photographers on World Photography Day

    10 photographers on World Photography Day

    As you may have guessed by now, we love celebrating creative talent, and what better opportunity to share some of the most awe-inspiring works by our photography community than on World Photography Day! Here are 10 photographers to watch.

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  • 5 galleries to check out for World Photo Day

    5 galleries to check out for World Photo Day

    We’ve compiled a list of our 5 favourite impactful photography galleries below for you to check out and take some inspiration from before you decide to share your photos with the world on the 19th. Be sure to tag us…

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  • Meet Maxwell, Breantonia and Nicholas

    Meet Maxwell, Breantonia and Nicholas

    We caught up with Emerge winners Maxwell Rushton (Art Prize), Breantonia (Music Prize) and Nicholas White (Photography Prize).

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  • Meet the Emerge Winners (pt. 1)

    Meet the Emerge Winners (pt. 1)

    Meet Pinkie Maclure, Katie O’Rourke and Emma-Marie Smith, winners of the Emerge Craft, Design and Creative Writing prize categories.

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