Quilla Constance – Teasing Out Contingencies

17 June 2023 - 7 January 2024

Teasing Out Contingencies is an exhibition by Quilla Constance at The Higgins Bedford

Artists & Associates

Experience a new painting installation by interdisciplinary artist Quilla Constance (aka QC). QC’s artworks for this exhibition are set against opulent interiors from Buckingham Palace and inspired by performative interactions and conversations with the public across London and the South East, through a series of performance workshops at Tate Exchange/Tate Modern in 2019. 

Sista Signifier by Quilla Constance
Fire Boy by Quilla Constance

QC’s new oil paintings feature opulent interiors from Buckingham Palace, drawing on artistic techniques of realism, abstraction and surrealism; incorporating playful and subversive depictions of cultural objects and carnivalesque interactions with people from Bedford, London and overseas.

This project began with a series of ‘QC Open Studio’ performance workshops at Tate Modern in 2019 ‘seeking to cross borders, confront stereotypes, and challenge gender, race and class inequalities’ – Further to this, Teasing Out Contingencies seeks to explore ‘What is British society now and where are we going?’ – a timely question as we emerge from the Covid 19 pandemic, and as we re-examine our relationships with British monarchy, following the recent passing of the Queen and the coronation of Charles III.

Take a listen to Quilla’s Latest interview with BBC3 Counties Radio about the exhbition and explore these themes in more detail.

QC’s works for this show also reference her collaboration with presenter-comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan for the TV docuseries ‘Rob & Romesh Vs Art’, Sky One.  Take a look at some of her appearance below:

Performance Art Workshop |
Rob & Romesh vs Art

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Supported by Bedford College, The Higgins Bedford, and funded by Arts Council England