Tinsel Edwards is an artist and co-founder of A-side B-side Gallery in Hackney Downs, London. Born in 1979 in Leamington Spa, Tinsel graduated from Goldsmiths College in 2001 (Fine Art BA). She lived in London for 19 years before moving to Glasgow in 2017, she now lives and works in Glasgow.
Driven by the idea that art can change the world, Tinsel’s art comments on a wide variety of contemporary social and political issues. Predominantly working with oil on canvas, her paintings offer biting social commentary entwined with humour and an honest and autobiographical narrative.
Tinsel was invited to speak and present work at the first edition of The Art Conference, held at The Ugly Duck building in London and produced by Tina Ziegler. In 2015 her work was selected to be part of Dismaland, Banksy’s ‘bemusement park’ in Weston-Super-Mare, Banksy is a collector of Tinsel’s work and previously invited her to take part in a Santa’s Ghetto exhibition. Tinsel has exhibited widely across the UK and in Germany, Austria, Poland and America. She has worked with Jealous Gallery, The Pure Evil Gallery, The Art Car Boot Fair and Galerie Michaela Stock in Vienna amongst others.
As well as painting, Tinsel often collaborates with childhood friend and art partner in crime Twinkle Troughton, together they have created several public ‘art stunts’ including kidnapping a banker and dressing as traffic wardens to fine 500 cars with free artwork. From 2000-2007 Tinsel was one of The Fairies and a singer in The Fairies Band
Photography by Lady Ray
SOLO and duo exhibitions (selected)
2013 – ‘A Mini Retrospective’ Duo show with Twinkle Troughton at Michaela Stock Gallery, Vienna and A-side B-side Gallery, London
2009 – ‘It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times’ Duo show with Twinkle Troughton at Steal from work, Bristol
2008 - ‘A Year of Private Views’ at The Pure Evil Gallery, London and Artport, Kolonie Wedding, Berlin
2006 - ‘This is modern art’ This Way Up Gallery, Dragon Bar, London
2006 - ‘An Urban Myth’ The Fairies exhibition, Tomtom Gallery, London
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selected)
2017 - The Spirit House, Geddes Gallery, London
2016 - The Art Conference, Tanner Street, London
2015 - Dismaland, Banksy’s Bemusement Park, Weston-Super-Mare
2015 - The Art Car Boot Fair, Brick Lane
2015 - London Original Print Fair, The Royal Academy
2014 - Moniker Art Fair with Jealous Gallery
2014 - Affordable Art Fair with Jealous Gallery
2013 - ‘Black, White and Red all over’ Jealous Gallery, London
2013 - ‘I Love you Because’ A-side B-side Gallery, London (curated by Harry Pye)
2011 - Flag Stop art Fair, South Bay Lexus, 24777 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505 USA
2011 - Hackney WICKED festival
2011 - 11:11, East Gallery, Brick Lane, London
2011- Momac curated by Roberta Moore and Lisa Mackenzie, Gloucester
2011 - She Said, The Outside World Gallery, Shoreditch, London
2010 - ‘Multiplied’ Christies Artfair, in association with Printclub London
2010 - ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’, Touring show in Poland: The Arsenal Gallery, Poznan
2009 - ‘Tate the Biscuit’, Shoreditch Town Hall, London
2009 - ‘Rosetta Stone’, Jena Kunsverein, Jena, Germany
2009 - ‘Secret Blisters’ curated by Printclub, MC Motors, London
2008 - Stella Dore group show, Sebastian Guiness Gallery, Dublin
2007 - ‘AlterNATIVITY’ Studio 57, London
2007 - ‘Light Sentence’ Augsberg, Germany
2006 - Banksys ‘Santas Ghetto’ London
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
2015 - ‘The Poor Door’ A collective exhibition tackling the housing crisis at A-side B-side Galleryfor Art licks Weekend. Shortlisted for the Art Quest Workweek prize.
2011-2013 - Multiple exhibitions at A-side B-side Gallery including ‘Girls Aren’t Funny’ for Art Licks weekend (co-curated with Catherine Magnani)
2011 - ‘Something Borrowed’ Cultivate Gallery, Vyner street, London (co-curated with Twinkle Troughton)
2010 - ‘Here Today’, The Outside World Gallery, Redchurch Street, London (co-curated with Twinkle Troughton)
2007- ‘Punk, a directory of Modern Subversive Culture’ Rote Flora, Hamburg/Ada street gallery, London (co-curated with James Bradshaw)
AWARDS
Longlisted for The John Ruskin Art Prize 2016 - Recording Britain Now: Society