Blog
Explore our blog for a selection of useful guides, articles of interest and our member’s profiles.

Matilda Laird
Matilda Laird multidisciplinary artist, including sculpture, installation, performance, drawing, video and digital drawing. Her generally large-scale architectural works address broad themes of consumerism and the manipulations of retail. With a focus on ideas of elevation and display, I appropriate a retail aesthetic as a means of critiquing retail aesthetics.

Elena Shvab
Elena Shvab is a London-based milliner and textile designer of Russian- Israeli heritage. Taking inspiration from nature, history, contemporary art and modern culture she continually working with bold shapes and experimental textile techniques to create dramatic silhouettes that she handcrafts in her studio.

Collage Club
Embracing hands-on techniques and using scissors as a drawing tool, Collage Club is perfect for anyone keen to flex their creative muscles and get making without having to produce perfectly proportioned, boring drawings. Each session features a range of activities including speed-collaging and collaborative image-making, and every workshop is packed with top-notch magazines and colourful paper for participants to rip, snip, glue and stick into something brand new. All levels of experience are welcome and all materials are provided!

Urte Janus
Urte Janus explores the corporeal relationships between bodies and their environments in her sculptural installations, writing and video work. She blends raw elements such as gelatine, charcoal, ash, limestone, natural binders, rubble, and concrete to build pieces that can later disintegrate back into their surroundings. Rocks, bones, minerals, debris, and various chemical substances are the main protagonists of her works. They are not dead or passive but operate as active agents capable of changing the histories and destinies of landscapes and bodies that inhabit them.

Viola Wang
Viola Wang is a children's book author and illustrator. Born in China, Viola graduated from Tsinghua University with a major in oil painting. She then moved to London, where she completed her master’s in animation and illustration while working as a graphic designer. Viola is also a graduate of the Children's Book Illustration MA at Cambridge School of Art, and a winner of the Sebastian Walker Award.

Rosanna Corfe
Rosanna is an artist and textile designer based in London. She graduated from a masters in textile design when she started working in interiors. She started her business at the end of 2020, wanting to combine both her interiors experience and her passion for textiles to create high quality, sustainable and cruelty free pieces.

How to chose the right studio space for YOU
The decision to expand into your studio can be a big and exciting decision for any artist or creative. However, it can also be a daunting process to find the right studio for you and your work. We’ve put together some useful tips to guide you through the process.

Should historical fashion garments ever be reworn?
The Met Gala is known as being a night of fashion where celebrities parade around in courtier garments. This year, Kim Kardashian sparked controversy for wearing Marilyn Monroe's original 'Happy Birthday' dress. The dress is of historical significance as it marks a particular moment in history.

New Creative Workspace Coming Soon In Walworth, SE17
The team at Hotel Elephant are excited to be able to share news of our new creative workspace project due to launch in Summer 2022. This new space will be located in Walworth, Elephant and Castle and is very close to our long term home at Spare Street, SE17.

How to apply for small business rates relief.
For many of our new members, it will be the first time they have dealt with business rates before. This is why we’ve put together this short guide about business rates and how to apply for small business rate relief.