In the studio with… Mali Morris

How long have you been at APT?
From the very beginning, 27 years ago, when we moved in to the then open-plan factory belonging to John Dennis and family. I marked a space in chalk on the floor, at the back of the building overlooking the creek. It had been the office area apparently, with dark brown nicotine stains on the ceiling. The walls went up quite quickly.

Describe APT in three words...
Independent, evolving, welcoming.

What is your practice and how do you like to work in your studio? 
I’m a painter and like to be in the studio as often as possible. I work on canvas and paper and sometimes board, on all sizes, from small to (for me) big. I’ve recently been involved in a new kind of project - I was invited by the Royal Academy and Art in Mayfair to design flags for Bond Street, to celebrate the RA’s Summer Exhibition. There are 3 different designs, the 33 flags are each 12 x 6 feet, and hang three abreast along the whole street, until 31 July. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it, but Steve (Steve Lewis, partner, sculptor, also at APT) said ‘Of course you must’, and now I’m glad I did

Which artists have influenced you?
Too many to list. And it never ends. I miss three painters who had studios here, Geoff Rigden, Clyde Hopkins and John McLean. I had a different kind of friendship with each, over many years, and one learns a lot from fellow painters, sometimes without realising it.

What is the most unusual thing someone might find in your studio?
About 15 empty water bottles. The tap is down the corridor so I have to fill them each morning, 3 at a time, for painting, watering my balcony plants, and tea.


Scroll down for details of where Mali’s work is currently on show.