On Thursday, May 8, Jake Wood unveiled his Icons series at a private viewing at Indelible Fine Art Gallery, in Jew Street, Brighton.
The actor and artist, best known for his role as Max Branning in EastEnders, created 15 original pieces for the exhibition – each piece celebrating different recognisable figures.
The viewing also unveiled a large-scale mural of Winston Churchill on the exterior of the gallery, created in partnership with MurWalls.
One of the most poignant pieces in the collection focuses on Dame Barbara Windsor, who was both a close colleague and friend of Mr Wood.
Dame Barbara was well-known for her roles in Carry On films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders. She died in 2020 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr Wood explained how he wanted to capture Dame Barbara’s character through the piece.
Speaking to The Argus, he said: “I’d seen that photo before, but it’s was from the day when she got the damehood and she’d already had the diagnosis by that point. It was a really special day and a celebration of her, and you can see that in that photo.
“For me, it was about trying to convey a little bit of what she was as a person and what she was like in real life.
“She was full of life and the colours in the picture are quite vibrant. Originally the dress was sort of a purple, so I made it bright pink. I just wanted to convey something of her life and her energy and how she made you feel as a person.”
Scott Mitchell, Dame Barbara’s husband of 20 years, also attended the launch.
Having been close friends with Jake for many years, he explained what the piece meant to him.
He said: “Jake came to me and said I’d love to do a piece of Barbara, how would you feel? And I said, I’d be privileged for you to do that and I know so would Barbara be.
“What Jake has done has caught that sense of vibrancy that Barbara had, the warmth and the colour. She was someone who, when she walked in a room, you would feel that colour and energy around her.
“There are certain people that can walk in a room and everyone gravitates to them and Barbara was absolutely one of them.”
He praised the Wood family’s support throughout Dame Barbara’s diagnosis and death.
“With the way that everything is today in the world, we miss people like Barbara who reflect that positivity and sense of fun and togetherness and inclusivity, so it’s so special to me,” Mr Mitchell said.
“Jake honoured Barbara in that way, but the Wood family were incredible friends to us when Barbara was ill and were a great support. They never let Barbara feel as if she’d been forgotten when she wasn’t going out as much.
“And certainly when Barbara passed, they’ve been like a second family to me and really supported me. There’s not enough high praise that I can give the Wood family.”
Having always had a love for art, Mr Wood decided to focus on his skills during the pandemic.
The Icon series combines spray paint, acrylic, digital techniques and collage to create Wood’s layered, expressive style.
Mr Wood explained: “Like a lot of people, I had more time on my hands. I’ve always done art, I did art at school, it was probably my favourite subject. I did a mural when I was a kid in the corridor at school. It stayed up there for many years.
“My mum is sort of an artist too. She’s never exhibited or been published, but she’s always painting. She paints every day, even to this day. So, art was always around the house. I was always encouraged to do that.”
He described the Icon pieces as looking to “tell the story of the person’s life through layers”, describing his art style as “quite chaotic”.
Mr Wood also chose to donate 10% of the prints sales to a dementia charity, with Mr Mitchell having chosen Dementia UK.
Mr Mitchell, who is from Hove and met Dame Barbara on a visit to Brighton, explained: “I was really impressed with Dementia UK, they advised EastEnders on the Nigel storyline. I was so impressed with how that was done and the advice they were given because it was so true to life.
“I’m aware of the Admiral Nurses of Dementia UK and the work they do. They have a section where they talk to young carers, people with young onset dementia, their children who may be still in their teens and suddenly one of their parents has got dementia.
“I think that’s so important because things like that get left out. We always just naturally assume it’s an adult who’s caring for someone with dementia. So that’s why I said to Jake, please can we involve them in this exhibition.”
Dementia UK offers specialist dementia nurses, who offer support for all those affected by the disease. More information on the support offered can be found on their website.
Jade Dyer, from Dementia UK, added: “It’s incredible to be supported by this event, by Jake and the money that’s going to be raised, and the awareness that’s going to be raised. It helps us reach so many more people with that, especially with dementia services and through our helpline, through our clinics.
“We understand that dementia doesn’t just affect that person with the diagnosis. It’s everyone who’s around them. That’s who we’re there for, the whole family. We’re there for the friends of those people. We’re there for the people who just want to know more about what dementia is. And events like this really help us just get in all those places to try and reach those people.”
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