Alexi Marshall: Mayday

This drawing presents a reimagining of Walter Crane's iconic The Workers’ Maypole, illustrating a celebration that challenges the constraints of capitalism. The prominent lettering of “Forgive Yourselves” within the piece serves as a reminder of the need to liberate oneself from the guilt and exhaustion imposed by relentless capitalist demands. It’s about forgiving ourselves for the systems we reside under and, through community, finding resistance. In the artist's hometown of Hastings, folk traditions still prevail, and the maypole remains an integral part of their May Day and Jack in the Green celebrations.

Mayday illustrates a chorus of voices united in resistance through dance. There are ways we can defy capitalist oppression through collective movement and celebration; there is always more untapped power within community to overcome systemic burdens.

Product Information

Colour pencil on paper, artist frame

58 x 60.5 cm (framed)

About the Artist

Alexi Marshall is a Hastings-based artist who graduated from the Slade School of Art in 2018. She works in print, mosaic, and embroidery, investigating themes of womanhood, folklore, and rebirth. The hand is always present: handmade, hand-sewn, hand-carved, hand-printed, hand-bound. The traces it leaves are often visible and embraced. Lines, bodies, and worlds fold into each other to create theatrical tableaux, driven by storytelling and otherworldly narratives.

She was shortlisted for the Visual Arts Award from the Arts Foundation in 2024. That same year, she showcased two solo exhibitions: Nostalgia for the Mud at Brooke Bennington and A Return to Innocence at San Mei Gallery. Marshall has recently completed the Early Careers Artist Programme at Flatland Projects, which culminated in her exhibition Under the Pomegranate Moon in 2023. She founded and facilitates a community-based project, “Peculiar Arcana,” focusing on fostering connection within groups through tarot and printmaking.

Collection and Shipping

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Please note this work is not available for standard shipping. Please collect in person or arrange a courier by contacting info@sanmeigallery.co.uk after check out.

This work is part of our 2024 Winter Fundraiser and will be available for collection from 14th - 20th December or shipped via Royal Mail Tracked 24 unless stated otherwise.