The Hari has welcomed two early career artists for a one-month residency at the hotel, in collaboration with ArtULTRA, a platform dedicated to supporting early career artists.
Emmanuel Unaji and Matilde Merli have been selected for The Hari’s one-month residency. The hotel residency offers the opportunity for these two early career artists a space to create their work, followed by an exhibition of their pieces in The Hari’s sought-after public spaces for the summer.
Emmanuel Unaji studied fashion design and gained a BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Kingston University in London where he currently lives. Emmanuel founded his design company Unaji&Co in 2017, which fuses his artistic talent and commercial flair. A multidisciplinary artist inspired by the fashion industry and its icons, he uses fragments of magazine photographs to which he adds painted, drawn or sculpted elements.
Matilde Merli grew up in northern Italy and has been living in London for the last five years. She is currently studying Illustration and Visual Communication at the University of Westminster. Although it isn’t until now that she formally developed her practice, art has been part of Matilde’s life for a long time. Her practice is rooted in her life experiences and emotions, which have been ranging from anger, disappointment, suffering, but also joy, hope, and curiosity.
Art has long been in the DNA of The Hari, the exposed brick walls of the lobby and The Hari Bar host an impressive collection of contemporary works on a curated rolling programme. Following the success of the “Class of 2020” exhibition, where the hotel offered the opportunity for graduating artists from a range of London art schools and colleges to exhibit their artwork in The Hari’s public spaces, the hotel is delighted to show their support to emerging artists once again.
