'HAPPEA' Art Exhibition

About

Colourful group show, 'HAPPEA', consisting of personal work made by Silas Money, Benjamin Phillips, James D Wilson and Ben Newman, will be displayed at @thecrownhastings throughout November. Outside of their formal jobs in design, education and illustration, each artist's personal practice provides an outlet to create outside of commercial expectations and as a form of self care. This space to PLAY keeps them connected to their deep need to be curious, awkward and happy (HAPPEA is how Ben's youngest son would write 'happy').

31st Oct - 27 Nov 2025
The Crown, Hastings, TN34 3BN

With a background in film and animation Silas Money's work has expanded into sculpture, ceramics and most recently painting. Silas' approach to making has an instinctive and playful irreverence where he aims to make work that embraces imperfections, accidents, awkwardness, humour, frustration and absurdity. @silas.mhoney

James Wilson's work explores the relationship between landscape and abstraction and memory. In his paintings, reduced gestures that speak of mountains, valleys and coastlines are interrupted with sudden cuts, hard-edges and mismatches. This mimics the way memories of places are prone to abstraction and yet our sense of those places remain familiar and vivid. @jamesdwilsonart

Award winning illustrator and author, Benjamin Phillips creates ceramics, drawings and paintings for a wide range of commercial and personal projects. He has illustrated Michel Rosen's latest book, 'One Day' based on the true story of an escape by members of the French resistance from a rail convoy bound for Auschwitz. @benjamindraws

Ben Newman is an illustrator who works predominantly on children's books, toys and games. Outside of his commercial practice, he paints "as a cathartic process through which he reconciles fragmented elements, uniting them into a cohesive whole and seeking balance in the composition." @benjinewman