HOUSE OF DREAMS...

Last Saturday I visited an incredible house, belonging to the artist Stephen Wright. Both a private home and a museum, the House of Dreams, which hides behind a high wall in East Dulwich, is an artwork in itself. The house was given a huge feature in World of Interiors magazine last year and Stephen's ten foot figures recently stood in the windows of Joseph. The museum is a life project and is backed by the National Trust.

The front garden and the entire downstairs of the Victorian house are a riot of colour and interest. Stephen uses mosaic with every day objects inset to make art expressing personal events in his life; much in the way that Mexican folk art and culture celebrates both life and death. This covers the walls, the ceilings, the doors and is ongoing...It's like being transported to Mexico, though it feels very familiar, as the discarded objects Stephen uses in his work are often those that you recognise from your own memory and childhood. If you ever see a man at an auction bidding on 176 dolls without heads, that will probably be Stephen. Wandering around the house you're able to see the beauty and exuberance of the whole and then to zone in on specific items. I had a great time chatting to Stephen about his work and about life in general. His is a very pure and unpretentious expression of his life and I found it all fascinating.

I'm so pleased that for once, I'm posting about something amazing that you can go along to as well. Although the house is not usually open to the public (except by appointment), if you can get yourself down to East Dulwich this Saturday (20th November) the House of Dreams Museum will be open to the public from 10.30am - 4.30pm. Entry fee is £10 which includes an artist talk (well worth it) and a cup of tea and a mince pie (lovely).

The House of Dreams Museum, 45 Melbourne Grove, East Dulwich, London SE22 8RG.