Hyperrealist artist Kelvin Okafor to host dinner talk and eye-drawing workshop at Chelsea’s Azzurra

Hyperrealist portrait artist Kelvin Okafor will appear at Azzurra, the Italian restaurant on Sloane Street in Chelsea, for two ticketed events on 17^th and 19^th September as part of the Chelsea Arts Festival, with a one-day display of his work also taking place at the venue on the Thursday.

Okafor specialises in pencil portraiture, which is drawn in fine detail and closely resembles photography. The two events at Azzurra, at 127–128 Sloane Street, are structured differently: the first is a dinner and conversation, the second a practical drawing class.

The first, titled An Evening with Kelvin Okafor, will be held in the restaurant’s private dining room from 6pm on Thursday 17^th September. Across the course of a three-course dinner with paired wines, Okafor will speak about how he came to portraiture, his relationship with art and the ideas and influences that inform his current work. Tickets are priced at £75 per person, with the meal and wine included.

A selection of Okafor’s drawings will also be shown at the restaurant on 17^th September, for one day only, allowing visitors to see the works at close range.

The second event, a portraiture workshop, takes place from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday 19^th September. The two-hour session focuses on eye study, with Okafor guiding participants through his methods of observing and drawing the human eye. The workshop is open to art students, amateur artists and those with no previous experience. Cocktails and canapés will be served afterwards. Tickets cost £40 per person and include all materials required for the session.

The Chelsea Arts Festival is an annual programme of cultural events held in the area, with participating venues hosting exhibitions, performances and talks. Azzurra’s involvement places a restaurant among the more conventional gallery and studio spaces taking part.

Azzurra is a coastal Italian restaurant specialising in seafood and seasonal produce, with an interior intended to reference the Italian Riviera. It forms part of Aqua Restaurant Group, which was founded in 2000 by the restaurateur David Yeo and operates more than 20 restaurants and bars internationally, including sites in Hong Kong, London and New York. The group’s other London venues include Aqua Kyoto, Aqua Nueva, Hutong at The Shard and Shiro in Broadgate Circle, alongside the recently opened Dim Sum Library in Covent Garden.

Okafor has previously exhibited in the UK and abroad, and his portraits have drawn attention for the length of time each takes to complete, with individual works often requiring weeks of sustained drawing. 

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For further information and to book tickets, visit the dedicated webpage here.