Onitsuka Tiger hosts British artist Michele Fletcher in its in-store gallery

Onitsuka Tiger’s multitasking London flagship opened in August 2022, hosting not only the Japanese brand’s collections and footwear – it is probably best known for its iconic ‘Mexico 66’ sneaker – but also an in-store gallery in the basement. 

Titled ‘Tiger Gallery’, the all-white space on London’s Regent Street was founded with the aim of championing emerging artists from around the world. It was inaugurated with an exhibition of work by Ugandan artist Godwin Champs Namuyimba; in October, Mr.StarCity, a New York-based multidisciplinary artist, took over the space to coincide with Frieze Week 2022. 

Michele Fletcher’s ‘Between a Flutter and a Fold’ at Onitsuka Tiger’s Tiger Gallery

The latest artist to feature is Michele Fletcher, who was born in Canada but now lives and works in London (Fletcher studied at Goldsmiths, before completing an MA at Chelsea College of Arts). She is known for her colour-saturated paintings, which often centre on depictions of nature.

 ‘[They] reflect the immediate, intrinsic, and infallible beauty of nature, and the ties between the natural world and humankind,’ says Onitsuka Tiger. ‘Relying on visual memory, Fletcher channels sensation as well as place to create works rooted in the traditions of both abstraction and landscape painting.’

This latest exhibition is titled ‘Between a Flutter and a Fold’, drawing inspiration from the time Fletcher spends in her garden through the changing seasons. The paintings – which primarily feature floral and botanic elements – also evoke the human body in ‘swirling strokes that recall blood flowing through veins or uncanny structures reminiscent of muscles connected by tendons and joints’. Eclectic reference points, from floral details on Renaissance paintings to the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, Eileen Agar, and Joan Mitchell, inform Fletcher’s technique. 

Open to the public, ‘Between a Flutter and a Fold’ runs from 27 January 2023 at Tiger Gallery, London, continuing Onitsuka Tiger’s ongoing desire to ‘support creativity and craftmanship internationally’. 

Michele Fletcher ‘Between a Flutter and a Fold’ runs from 27 January to March 25 2023 at Tiger Gallery, found within Onitsuka Tiger’s flagship store (249-251 Regent Street, London). 

onitsukatiger.com