- The exhibition celebrates the time, practice and process behind creativity, bringing together 116 artists at Laundry Studios, Hackney.
- Opening 3 September, the exhibition will feature a selection of artists from NALA’s global community, an interactive aura photography activation and a live DJ.
NALA | The Art Matchmaker has partnered with Creative Debuts, the contemporary art platform and parent organisation of Studio 404, for 10,000 HOURS, a new exhibition exploring the time, practice and persistence behind creative work.
Following the TOUCH GRASS exhibition in June, 10,000 HOURS is the second exhibition in Studio 404’s residency at Laundry Studios, bringing together 116 artists across painting, photography, design, illustration and sculpture. The exhibition opens Thursday 3rd September, from 6pm to 9pm, is free to attend, and will run until the end of November during Laundry Studios’ weekday opening hours.
In a culture increasingly shaped by algorithms, instant gratification and the expectation of overnight success, 10,000 HOURS makes space for everything that happens before the finished work: the drafts, repetitions, experiments, failures and countless hours of practice that rarely get seen. It celebrates the journey behind creativity, exploring what it means to dedicate yourself to a craft in an age of constant distraction.
At its heart is the belief that mastery is built over time, and that the first hour matters just as much as the 9,999th. The exhibition champions evolution over perfection and curiosity over performance, with Studio 404’s wider OFFLINE BY DESIGN ethos encouraging people to step away from digital environments and reconnect through real-world creative experiences.
As part of the collaboration, NALA will present a small selection of artists from its global community in London, with artists selected through its quarterly artist calls and working across painting, photography, design, illustration and sculpture.
NALA will host a dedicated room featuring an interactive aura photography activation, where guests can receive a free aura portrait and reading, alongside a printed interpretation of their colour as an art taste profile. For artists, the reading will explore their creative temperament, including strengths and areas where their practice may become stuck. Across the opening evening, 75 physical and digital portraits will be available alongside 35 one-to-one readings, with each card linking to a deeper personalised reading through NALA. The aura photography and readings will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with exclusive access discounts for artists and art lovers also available during the opening evening only.
The artists on show embody the exhibition’s focus on time and dedication. Isabel Deprince’s three-panel work began as research studies in 2023 before being reworked in 2026, while OHXOJA’s Rainbow Landscape took approximately 150 hours to create. Karimah Hassan’s Young King, meanwhile, was completed over three months within an eight-year artistic practice.
All NALA artists exhibited as part of the show will also be available to discover through the free NALA art lover app, with the NALA artist app now available for creatives.
Penelope Sonder, COO of NALA | The Art Matchmaker, comments: “10,000 HOURS really resonated with us because it puts the time and experimentation behind creativity front and centre. We often see the finished work, but not the years of practice, failed experiments and persistence that sit behind it.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for our global artist community to be part of that conversation, while giving audiences a chance to discover new work and engage with the creative process in person. It feels particularly relevant at a time when everything is increasingly geared towards speed and instant results.”
The opening evening will feature a live DJ and free drinks. Visitors must book via Eventbrite ahead of attending, with a queue and door check in operation.
Tickets and event information: 10,000 HOURS Eventbrite.
Venue: Laundry Studios, 2 Warburton Rd, London E8 3RT.
For exhibition visit requests during the run, contact penelope@nala.art.
