Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, the flamboyant interior designer known for his colourful suits and iconic hairstyle, is returning to his artistic roots with his first UK art tour. The 61-year-old, who shot to fame on the BBC show Changing Rooms, will showcase his new collection 'Drawn To Adorn' in three locations starting June 27.
From Changing Rooms to fine art
Llewelyn-Bowen, who trained at Camberwell College of Arts, has been creating art for years but never toured with it. He told the press: “I’ve been tinkering for a couple of years. Then I was talking to Buckingham Fine Art and they came up with this idea of going on a tour – which I’d never done before with art.” He compared the tour to rock 'n' roll, saying: “There’s something weirdly rock ‘n’ roll about it, which I love.”
The exhibition, inspired by Art Nouveau icon Aubrey Beardsley, features works that Llewelyn-Bowen describes as “a bit naughty.” He recalled a chat show appearance with Prue Leith, who criticised his paintings: “She said ‘of course, I don’t like your paintings at all. They all look as if there’s going to be some kind of naughty satyr jumping out of a bush.’ I said ‘that’s the whole point, Prue love.’”
Reality TV ban after near-death experience
Llewelyn-Bowen has been banned from reality TV by his wife Jackie, following a traumatic incident on Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls. During a water challenge in Costa Rica, he ran out of oxygen while trapped under a raft, requiring Grylls to resuscitate him. He said: “I threw myself at that. In fact, arguably, I threw myself out it far too hard and ended up kind of dying, but then kind of being brought back to life by Bear Grylls.”
His wife of 30 years, Jackie, has now imposed a hardline no on all reality shows. He added: “Jackie said I can’t even do Bake-Off, just in case a cherry falls on my head.”
Defying critics and the art world
Llewelyn-Bowen remains unapologetic about his style, which he says is influenced by 80s New Romantics and post-punk. He said: “One of the things I’ve always felt is that there’s no such thing as good taste or bad taste. It’s your taste. It’s my taste.” He acknowledged his work may not fit the contemporary art market, adding: “Anyone expecting Damian Hurst is going to be disappointed.”
The tour, titled 'Drawn To Adorn', begins at Soho Fine Art in Brighton on June 27, followed by Cotswold Contemporary in Marlow on July 4, and Soho Fine Art in Stratford-upon-Avon on July 11. Contact venues for more information and to RSVP.
