Haroun Hayward | Studio Visit

We visited Haroun Hayward’s East London studio just before lockdown, and chatted about his process, some work in progress and what’s inspiring him at the moment. He will be presenting a new body of work in his solo exhibition Too Nice, Play it Twice, which opens at indigo+madder on 26 February. Haroun works primarily in oils- paints, bars and pastels, in his distinctive style, to create complex, textured surfaces. His influences are incredibly diverse and include the cultural politics of 90’s dance music, graffiti, African and South Asian textiles, and even early Mughal miniatures. Haroun received his MFA from Goldsmiths University and BA Fine Art Painting from Brighton University, following an exchange stay at the Nagoya University of Arts, Japan. He was recently awarded an artists’ residency at Casa Balandra in Mallorca. Haroun’s group exhibitions include Drawing Room Biennial, Drawing Room, London, 2021 (upcoming), All the Days and Nights, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, 2020, Interference, Rivington Rooms, London 2019, Gadfly, indigo+madder, London, 2019, While Supplies Last, Mount Analogue, Seattle, USA, 2019 and The Bigger Picture, curated by Bob and Roberta Smith, Mile End Pavillion, UK, 2017 amongst others. Solo exhibitions include Too Nice, Play It Twice, indigo+madder, Feb 2021 (upcoming) and Dance Mania, Wellington Club, 2020. He is currently an Associate Lecturer in the Fine Art Painting Department at Brighton University.