19/05/2026
Vanessa Lawrenceās Soft Machines drawings, created in response to the Brighton Festival public sculpture commission by Ivan Morison and Heather Peak, are now available for sale during the Artist Open Houses exhibition, 23, 24, 30, 31 May 2026, in support of Brighton charity Making It Out.
Created through live observation of the sculpturesā construction and installation on Hove Promenade, the five large-scale charcoal works capture the energy, labour and collective spirit behind the project. Lawrence developed a bespoke drawing medium using Sussex charcoal, local honey and Gum Arabic, responding directly to the organic materials used within the sculptures themselves.
Artist Ivan Morison partnered with Making It Out throughout the creation of Soft Machines, supporting the building and fabrication of the monumental public works.
As Ivan Morison writes:
āWorking with Making It Out brings another layer of care and transformation to the work. These are new forms made by people who are also re-forming themselves.ā
ā Ivan Morison
Funds raised through sales of these works will support the ongoing work of Making It Out and their creative programmes for people rebuilding their lives after homelessness, addiction and prison.
MIO barns can be found via