In September 2023, JW Anderson and Offer Waterman announced On Foot, an exhibition curated by Jonathan Anderson celebrating London.
On Foot was curated by Jonathan Anderson at Offer Waterman, bringing contemporary artists into dialogue with iconic works of modern British art. Anderson’s own fashion designs for JW Anderson and LOEWE inhabited the spaces as viewers and bystanders to the works. Pieces from recent seasons were chosen for the way in which they transform the body and give it sculptural potential. The exhibition unfolded like a walk-through London, embracing the stark contrasts and unlikely juxtapositions that even a short journey through the city offers up.
From the salubrious streets of Mayfair where the gallery is located, to the provocatively storied alleys of Soho where the JW Anderson store has its home, the exhibition’s galleries each acted like a pause at one of the social spaces or experiences the journey has to offer.
Celebrating all aspects of the city from the pub to the park, the gallery’s corridors and staircases became pavements and traffic-clogged streets with skaters lingering, while ceramics and sculptures will represent crowded scenes.
JW Anderson’s pigeons took over a storeroom and a garden square bench allowed visitors to take in the surprising abundance of flora and fauna the city has to offer. Rounding off the journey by ducking into a pub, a diverse cast of characters each told a story of the city they live in.
For the exhibition Anthea Hamilton collaborated with JW Anderson to produce a limited-edition version of the iconic pigeon clutch which was presented at Offer Waterman and the JW Anderson Soho store.
Artists included were Igshaan Adams, Frank Auerbach, Lynette Yiadom- Boakye, Hans Coper, Shawanda Corbett, Sara Flynn, Lucian Freud, Anthea Hamilton, Barbara Hepworth, Akiko Hirai, David Hockney, Leon Kossoff, Stanislava Kovalcikova, Florian Krewer, Doron Langberg, Jennifer Lee, L. S. Lowry, Henry Moore, Cedric Morris, Dame Magdalene Odundo, Jem Perucchini, Walter Sickert, Christopher Wood, among others.