“Being surrounded by colourful artwork, great food and good company is worth more than a stuffy art gallery”, says artist Eloisa Henderson-Figueroa. Known for her vibrant, colour-fuelled murals, the self-confessed colour-obsessed artist is now bringing her work indoors at a solo exhibition at Unlock - a creative hub in Hackney Wick that fuses food, art and community.
Aptly named Moments of Joy, the exhibition continues Eloisa’s commitment to bringing joy to everyday spaces. “It’s always been important to me to create art that can change how people feel”, she tells East End Review.
“I think the world is so grey and especially at the moment, a lot of hate and sadness, and I want to provide people with a slice of joy in their day. I’ve had people come up to me while I’m painting to tell me that they were having a really bad day, but as soon as they saw my work, they instantly felt better”.
Henderson-Figueroa traces her motivation to spread joy back to her upbringing. “I think the main influence from my Chilean and Scottish background is the music and culture”, she recalls. “My parents were in a South American folk band in the 80s called Incantation, and they were really popular and appeared on Top of the Pops and Blue Peter.
“We were always surrounded by vibrancy and creativity as kids and I think that has translated into a love of colour and pattern for me. I found the thing that made me feel good and that I wanted to pursue, and just like my parents who make music for others to feel inspired, I create art to make people feel good”.
The artist, whose work is akin to the likes of colour powerhouses Morag Myerscough, Camille Walala and Yinka Ilori, has made her mark on everything from cycle stands, school playgrounds and tea towels to unexpected items such as a giant toaster that toured UK shopping centres - commissioned for the Recycle Your Electricals campaign.
Now in Moments of Joy, Henderson-Figueroa showcases a selection of smaller-scale but still vibrant works including hand-painted pieces, Giclée fine art prints, 3D domes and colourful masking tape artwork. “My favourite pieces are the Domes of Fun, which are 3D layered acrylic pieces, as they are a collaboration between myself and my partner - who cut all the shapes out for me. It was my first time making my artwork into 3D pieces and I just love how they turned out,” says Henderson-Figueroa.
Bold blues, pinks, greens and more adorn the walls of Unlock. Among them, yellow, in particular, is her favourite. “I love yellow! Yellow to me is like pure happiness. I love a strong sunflower yellow that makes me feel instant joy. When I go to the South Bank and see all the yellow amongst the concrete, I just feel so good inside”.
The shift into a restaurant setting came about through a chance encounter during lunch at Unlock, sparked by a compliment on a scarf that Henderson-Figueroa had designed. “Within 2 minutes, we had organised an exhibition to take place the week after. It was fate!”
More than just a backdrop, Unlock’s hybrid model as a restaurant and creative hub plays an important role in shaping the experience of the show. Alongside its exhibition programme, the space collaborates with Fish Island Books to host monthly book clubs and special literary events, including author meet-and-greets.
For Henderson-Figueroa, spaces like this are vital. “Being an artist can be quite lonely at times. We work alone and we create alone, so we need spaces like this to bring community together”, she explains. “It’s great to have a space that champions local creatives and that actually cares about their community. Unlock are doing great things and I’m proud to be a part of it”.
“A lot of people don’t go to galleries because they might think it’s not for them or think that it’s too expensive. So if you bring artwork to people, they can enjoy sitting within the artwork and appreciate how it makes them feel. My artwork is aimed at making people feel joyful and optimistic, so if I can change how someone interacts with my work and make them feel good, then I’ve done my job!”
She continues: “It might just be a lick of paint, but it can mean so much more than that. It can literally change people’s day. I’ve had the privilege of painting a lot of schools around the UK and the kids absolutely love it! They love colours and the teachers tell me how much the kids enjoy seeing my artwork. A headteacher said ‘One of the kids told me that he was feeling really sad, so he went and sat next to your mural and he felt so much better’. If that isn’t a reason to paint murals, I don’t know what is!”
Moments of Joy
Until 15 May 2026
Unlock
1 Monkwood Way
Fish Island, E3 2EG
