I am Artistic Director at the newly established Boathouse Studios in Barking, East London. We are in an area of tremendous change and regeneration, where there is a will for transformation and increased aspiration.

The Boathouse is a new arts venue by the river in Barking and is actvely involved with the culutral development and offer in the borough and beyond. It's run by a group of artists and business people and we are actively committed to the support of emerging artists. Hence this campaign.

Binian Ghide (aka Angel Art) 

is a young Eritrean artist who arrived in the UK following a two-year solo trek to get across Africa through Europe to the UK as an escapee from the horrors of his homeland. Eritrea is among the most closed countries in the world; human rights conditions remain dismal. Indefinite military service, torture, arbitrary detention, and severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and religion provoke thousands of Eritreans to flee the country each month.  

Biniam was one such person.  In 2013 after his sister and brother were killed and his mother died he fled his homeland. As one of the top ten artistis in his country he painted and walked his way through Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Siberia, Belgrade, Slovakia, Italy, France, to Dover. After over 25 attempts to stowaway he finally got to Birmingham where he was arrested. He now has leave to stay in the UK on humanitarian grounds.

His arrival in Barking and Dagenham started a new chapter  in his life and with the support of the Leader of the Council Darren Rodwell, council officers and Creative Barking and Dagenham, Biniam began to see that he could start a life again in the UK as an artist. Through CBD he worked closely with artist Chad McCail on his commission to paint the Becontree mural and was given a space to paint.

Living conditions are however a different matter for Biniam. With no family and patchy english at the moment he has had to pick up his life from scratch. Getting paid work is a challenge and he has a zero-hours catering contract, which brings him in a couple of shifts a week. He has yet to find a permanent home. 

In the meantime the team at The Boathouse is so touched and impressed by the quality of Biniam's work that he will be opening his first exhibition in the UK on December 1st 2015 at the Boathouse Studios.  He currently has approximately 15 paintings to show.

Through The Tunnel.... An unfinished exhibition..  Opening December 1st 2015 

We need your help to support Biniam in enabling him to buy canvasses and materials to build his work over the next year and during the life of the exhibition.  £300 buys the canvas and paints for one piece and makes a small contribution to his time.

We would very much appreciate your help to reach uur target of £3000 will enable Biniam to paint 10 pieces over the coming months.  Each one will be added to an empty space on our gallery walls for the duration of the exhibition. He plans to sell some of his work which in turn will enable him to devote more time to painting and not simply to surviving. He also welcomes commissions and recently accepted one from me to paint my parents. 

Contributors will receive a thank-you signed  postcard or print of one of Biniam's pieces. 

I know many of you are deeply affected by the current refugee crisis and will have donated to the many support campaigns. Art has a unique and essential  way of telling the interior human stories we all carry - and Biniam's work is testament to his suffering and his joy.  

Biniam and I are working with Miro Tomarkin the Boathouse Resident Artist to create the exhibition. 

Biniam sends this message....

Biniam: This is a lyric from my brother (a rap-artist still living in Eritrea) sent it to me 'Forsake in darkness where no one can see , I am the victim of internal suffering . At the door of the land of opportunity, but hope is my light at the end of the tunnel.'. 

With thanks

Carole  Pluckrose, Biniam Ghide. Miro Tomarkin.

* The arts are a key pillar of the Barking and Dagenham Community - actively supported by the Local Authority and the Arts Council England. They are championed actively by the Leader of the Council  Darren Rodwell. Significant financial support has been afforded through the ACE People Going Places programme and facilitated through Creative Barking and Dagenham with over 130 local people taking the lead on identifying high quality arts engagement experiences and creative commissioning opportunities.