A CONTEMPORARY art gallery has been opened in West Harrow by a broad and eclectic group of artists.

Usurp Art Gallery , in Vaughan Road, is a base for not-for-profit Usurp Art Collective who launched the début display called 'Naissance' on Friday evening with a grant from the Arts Council England.

The collective has 16 collaborators including members from India, Japan and Palestine and some who work under a pseudonym.

Between them, the members, aged between 22 and 55, are involved in performance art, new media, visual art and music.

Five members are Harrow residents including co-founder Poulomi Desai, who took over the shop space – formally Fovea Gallery – in January.

She said: "I wanted to bring in artists who would never think about coming or exhibiting in Harrow so local residents who normally have to travel to central London or east London can see some of those works on their own doorstep.

"You will see a range of material, from 16mm film that has been manipulated to paintings from Indian artists to installations to sculptural constructions.

"Some people have created new works specifically for the exhibition such as artist Disinformation, who has made a mathematics-based sculpture made of household objects.

"The concept is the communication between different art movements and different perspectives that artists have brought to society."

Usurp Art Collective was formed in 2003 after voluntary organisations reached out for help with an identity-minded art project called 'Branded'.

Four years ago Ms Desai was involved in Transport for London's Platform For Art project at North Harrow station that has become the longest-running platform art project in London and consists of a series of portraits called Red Threads created by local people.

Usurp Art Gallery will not simply host static exhibitions since the collective want to organise a series of workshops, talks and other creative events.

These begin on Sunday February 28 between 3pm and 6pm with the first 'The Last Sunday' show - described as 'monthly music adventures' with experimental and improvisational spoken word and other sounds.

"Our ethos is: all are welcome and it's important for people to create their own ideas on art within space," said Ms Desai.

"What we want to do is encourage people to take part and if they have an idea to try and facilitate that.

"The reality is what is probably good for Harrow would be if it did have some big Saatchi style gallery because it will draw people's attention but that's not what's happening here.

"Because of my background, I'm not part of the Saatchi scene. I'm part of a different art scene which comes from meeting communities, being involved in grass roots work and responding to need."

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