Unit 2 Presents: Molly Hawkins
ST Leonards on sea
Responding to Unit 2, Molly presents a series of joyful works that echo the bold, large-scale paintings she creates for public spaces. Staying true to her process, Molly began by designing eight paper cut-out collages exploring form, shape and colour; these studies underpin the new works on view. Collaboration sits at the heart of the exhibition: throughout the space, visitors are invited to collage, colour and craft, filling the space with growing and evolving community artworks.
*Thanks to our paint sponsor, Annie Sloan, for gifting the Chalk Paint used throughout the exhibition.
In the first room, Molly has painted a large-scale, collage-inspired floor mural, drawing on her experience designing and installing basketball court artworks and her commitment to inspiring play through art. Standing upon the floor mural are Molly’s inaugural “portable murals”: freestanding, three‑panel screens fabricated in plywood and hand‑painted on both faces.
In the second room, created with carpenter-artist Nina Hunter, visitors enter an immersive, site‑responsive installation that explores, expands and extrudes Molly’s process. The work invites viewers to move behind and through layers of collage, translating her design methods into three dimensions. Combining joinery with collage, this playful and participatory piece marks the start of a journey into collaborative, sculptural public art.
As part of a research-and-development concept for their Unit 2 show in St Leonards-on-Sea, Molly and Nina explored cut-out shapes in the local seaside landscape, dancing, playing and curating collages that included themselves.
Passionate about making creativity accessible, Molly hosts participatory workshops, including mask making, costume making and public art model making. Molly invites creative exploration, linking her practice to the space through movement, play and collaboration.
*Thanks to G . F . Smith for supporting our event and providing Colorplan paper for workshop materials.