Today, a brand new art gallery for musical instruments and fine art – Muphoria – opens its very first gallery on Berwick Street, Soho.
Conceived to serve a boom in demand for music art – and as the market sees more people view musical instruments as sound commercial investments – Muphoria will feature work from artists such as Mark Illuminati, David Corio, Devil and Sons and Michael Spencer Jones at launch, with plans to showcase unique pieces from emerging and established artists from all over the world, year-round. The gallery will feature and sell pieces at all price points and music and art enthusiasts can visit the gallery right now, with more information available on muphoriagallery.com
Pop art has exploded in popularity in recent years, with music related artwork playing an increasingly large part,
commented Tom Lawes, Founder and Managing Director of Muphoria.
Similarly, art is currently outperforming all other sectors in the luxury investment market with year-on-year growth of 30%. Muphoria aims to bridge the gap between the music and art world, not just by selling music-themed art but by inviting musicians and artists to collaborate on new work and new musical instruments. Berwick Street in Soho is an ideal location for us, as historically it has been a hub for both musicians and artists, along with being the home to numerous record retailers.
A gallery specialising in music artwork is long overdue for central London and Berwick Street in Soho couldn’t be a more perfect location; not least because it’s where I did the cover photograph for (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
– Michael Spencer Jones
Artists whose work will feature in the gallery at launch include:
Illuminati Neon: a.k.a. Mark Sloper, the creator of hand-blown neon art that joyously celebrates the UK’s anarchic heritage with a modern twist, drawing collectors ranging from Danny Dyer to Elton John and punk pilgrims like The Sex Pistols. Recent exhibitions include the biggest of their career at the Saatchi Gallery – the first major exhibition dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth II
Michael Spencer Jones: renowned for his iconic album photography for bands like Oasis, The Verve, and Suede and producing some of the most recognizable images of the Britpop era. His work includes the famous Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? cover shot right on Berwick Street, where the Muphoria gallery takes its home. Highly limited edition Oasis prints will be available to purchase at the launch of Muphoria.
David Corio: a storied music photographer, showcasing signed prints of legends like The Ramones, Bob Marley and Whitney Houston available at launch at Muphoria – some of which were recently featured in the DIVA exhibition at the V&A Museum
Maybury Guitars: a collection of uniquely creative sustainable guitars, made from reclaimed materials and painted by a New York artist
Devil and Sons: presenting custom sci-fi-inspired guitars, merging futuristic design with musical flair
Tape Deck Art: exhibiting a homage to memorabilia with their oversized music badges
Martin Grover: showcasing his in-demand vinyl record paintings, encapsulating musical nostalgia and history
In addition, Muphoria will showcase an array of art honouring the world’s most beloved and influential musicians such as Rod Melvin’s knitted portraits of music icons like Yoko Ono and Brian Eno, and artworks by Cyan Dee and Luke Pantelidou featuring the Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and PJ Harvey. Serving as both an exhibition space and a retail outlet, Muphoria caters to the ever-growing interest in music art, allowing visitors to not only experience but also take home these unique creations at a range of price points. Muphoria seeks to create a vibrant hub where fine art and music intersect. With ongoing collaborations and the introduction of new, innovative works, the gallery promises to remain a dynamic and evolving space on one of London’s most important streets for creativity.
For more details and updates on future collaborations muphoriagallery.com
About
Tom Lawes the founder and Managing Director of Muphoria is a music composer, film director, ex-cinema owner and instrument collector. Son of fine artist Michael Lawes, Tom grew up around the world of fine art. Picking up a guitar at the age of 16, his career began on tour with a number of bands in the late 80s and early 90s, working as a guitar technician and later an audio engineer. His interest turned to film and TV when he scored the soundtrack to BBC1’s All Quiet of the Preston Front at the age of 21, making him the youngest ever composer they had employed by the 1990s. He later worked as a composer for SEGA before buying the UK’s oldest working cinema The Electric in Birmingham. The restoration of the cinema earned him a commendation in the Houses of Parliament and O2 phones Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year. He ran the cinema successfully for 17 years, the business grossing seven figures annually along with winning multiple national and regional awards. Most recently, he performed the score live to his film Amaryllis which won over a dozen awards around the world. Tom will oversee the company along with commissioning artists and luthiers to create new products for the galleries.
