Olivia Twist

Olivia has led on two Family Studio events using drawing to tap into children’s imagination to transport ourselves to other places! Families turned a shoe box into their dream bedroom, made posters for a holiday destination, and then transformed the Community Studio into a cinema (popcorn included)!

Olivia also led on a Holiday Club in May with children from Tower Bridge Primary School.  Together they made an immersive TV set by illustrating their own news stories, drawing a large backdrop and designing costumes. On the last day the children proudly showcased their stories with a performance to their parents.

As part of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS: A Snapshot,a trail of exhibition installations around Drawing Room, Olivia showcased a series of drawings in the lightboxes outside. These marker-pen drawings were made on assorted coloured papers, recording people, place and conversations – ‘small stories told over dried roast peanuts.’ Markets and bus journeys are depicted as well trodden routes to reach family and friends.

Over the Summer Term, Olivia has been working on our afterschool club, following on from other RPS artists Habiba Nabisubi and Dunya Kalantery. Olivia and the children have explored their passions through symbolic drawing. The children were able to experiment with a range of different materials including clay, print making and drawing. To conclude the afterschool club project, the children made a collaborative paper island assisted by some of their parents/guardians.

Olivia Twist is an artist-illustrator from East London with a socially engaged practice. Her work explores place, community, family, the mundane and overlooked narratives. Her visual language comprises of a myriad of esoteric layers informed by a propensity for human-centred research methods. Selected clients include Nike, St. Christophers Hospice, Penguin Books, Carney’s Community Youth Club, It’s Nice That, Tate, House of Illustration, Levi’s, Graeae Theatre, WePresent, The Guardian, BBC, Bonnier Books, Vans, Victoria & Albert Museum, Welcome Collection, The Design Museum & Blackhorse Responders.