Ismatjahan Ravat – Artist Development & Residency March 2026
Ismatjahan Ravat is a Coventry-based visual artist working across painting, textiles, collage, and printmaking. As a non-verbal artist, their practice provides a vital means of expression, using layered patterns, texture, and colour to communicate ideas and experiences beyond words.
Currently developing their curatorial practice in preparation for a first solo exhibition, Ismatjahan continues to expand their work through experimentation with materials, including screen printing and other print techniques. Their richly detailed paintings often draw inspiration from textiles and garments, resulting in tactile and visually intricate works.
A member of Art Riot Collective for over three years, Ismatjahan has benefited from accessible studio space and support, enabling the creation, storage, exhibition, and sale of their work. This has been instrumental in their ongoing artistic and professional development.
Key Moments
2025: Work acquired by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
September 2025: Group exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
February 2026: Art Works Together exhibition, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
2026: ACE-supported residency with Art Riot Collective
This residency has been made possible through the generous support of Arts Council England and marks a significant step in the continued growth of Ismatjahan’s practice.

Joe Patrick – Solo Exhibition & Practice Development (2025–2026)
Joe Patrick presented his first solo exhibition at ARC Gallery, bringing together a series of abstract paintings developed in late 2025. His work explores mathematical equations through bold colour, translating structured systems into large-scale abstract compositions.
More recently, Joe has expanded his practice into large-scale collage, reworking these equations into collaborative pieces. His creative process is performative, often accompanied by the recitation of rhymes and songs, expressing joy and rhythm as part of the making process.

Ismatjahan Ravat – Acquisition, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum (2025)
A significant milestone in Ismatjahan Ravat’s career was the acquisition of their work by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum in 2025. The large-scale piece was developed at the Art Riot Collective studio between 2024 and 2025, created over a series of supported studio sessions exploring pattern, texture, colour, and movement. The complexities of Ismatjahan’s painting techniques and the way they build their works in layers is phenomenal.
Ismatjahan, a Coventry-based non-verbal artist, works across painting, textiles, collage, and printmaking. Their practice uses layered imagery and material exploration as a vital form of expression, communicating ideas and experiences beyond words.
As a member of Art Riot Collective, access to an inclusive studio environment has been instrumental in supporting the creation, exhibition, and recognition of their work, contributing to both artistic and professional development. This work will be exhibited as part of #TheFullStoryOfTheRugbyCollection in February 2025—definitely worth seeing!
Key Moments
2025: Work acquired by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
September 2025: Group exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
February 2026: Art Works Together exhibition
2026: Arts Council England-supported residency

Niall Singh – Coventry Biennial Exhibition (Oct 2025 – Jan 2026)
Neurodivergent artist Niall Singh exhibited work at ARC Gallery as part of the Coventry Biennial. His multidisciplinary practice spans collage, assemblage, printmaking, textiles, poetry, music, and discussion, often exploring ways to break down social barriers to art and education.
During this period, Niall led a series of workshops with Art Riot Collective artists and members of the public, sharing his processes and approaches, including zine-making and reinterpreting traditional folk music.

Symposium – Home-Based Creative Practice (September 2025)
Inspired by The Severed Wing’s artist–gallery collaboration, this symposium brought together artists, producers, and organisations to explore the possibilities and challenges of home-based and situated creative practice.
Grounded in the Social Model of Disability, the programme encouraged reflection on access, care, and sustainability—raising important conversations about how cultural spaces can become more inclusive for artists and audiences confined to the home due to disability or long-term illness, and how artistic practices can meaningfully respond to lived experience.
Curated by LOWRY in collaboration with Corinne, DASH (Disability Arts in Shropshire), and Art Riot Collective—with contributions from Attenborough Arts Centre and Compton Verney. The live performance at ARC Gallery transformed the space into an intimate performance venue which replicated a small low lite cinema. It created connection to the work and invited audiences to engage with home-based artist Corinne Q&A.

This Is Me – AR Exhibition, Coventry
This Is Me was a free outdoor exhibition using augmented reality (AR), created by disabled artists from Art Riot Collective in partnership with Coventry University’s Disabled Staff and Carers Network.
Transforming Broadgate Square into an open-air digital gallery, audiences could experience artworks through smartphones or tablets, encountering large-scale and immersive pieces within the public space.
The project enabled artists to share their stories and curate work in innovative ways, while challenging perceptions of access, authorship, and inclusion in public art. It formed part of a wider ARC initiative exploring AR as a method for creating and exhibiting work.
The project was supported by Coventry City Council and funded by Arts Council England.

Aleighan – Solo Exhibition, ARC Gallery (April–May 2026)
Art Riot Collective artist Aleighan launched a solo exhibition at ARC Gallery, supported by an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) award.
The exhibition reflects a period of exploration and growth, with the artist expanding their practice through experimentation with new methods and materials. The work explores how Aleighan interprets language and information, and how this can lead to confusion and misdirection. Through the creation of character-based works, the artist poses questions around personal experience and the challenges of navigating an ableist world.

Made in Cov – Young People’s Creative Project
Made in Cov was a youth-focused project supporting young people from across Coventry to explore creative practice and gain insight into the range of roles involved in performance and exhibition-making.
Participants engaged in a series of workshops, experimenting with new creative methods before collaboratively developing and touring a live performance to multiple venues. The young people took on leading roles across all aspects of the project, including performance, lighting, and filmmaking.
The project was funded through a grant awarded to Art Riot Collective by the West Midlands Combined Authority, supporting the development of emerging creative talent in the city.

In 2024, MunKyle undertook a deeply personal and transformative project, creating his first album and live performance through Arts Council support. Initially driven by fear and self-doubt, the process evolved into a powerful act of honesty, exploring themes of disability, neglect, suicide, and lived experience. Collaborating with other creatives, MunKyle embraced a more expressive and authentic voice, challenging internalised ableism and redefining his identity as an artist. The work combined music, painting, and performance, with a raw and emotive approach that prioritised truth over perfection. His live performance in Coventry marked a pivotal moment, where accessibility, audience care, and vulnerability were central to the experience. The response from audiences was profoundly affirming, reinforcing the value and impact of his work. This project not only validated MunKyle’s artistic practice but also marked the beginning of an ongoing commitment to creating bold, honest work and performing in spaces that have historically excluded artists like him.

Ismatjahan Ravat – Commission, City of Coventry Health Centre
Ismatjahan Ravat was commissioned to create a site-specific artwork for the City of Coventry Health Centre. The work responds to the building’s existing colours, patterns, and textures, alongside references to Coventry’s industrial heritage, including watchmaking, the car industry, and radio production.
Drawing on photographic research of artworks and interiors within the space, Ismatjahan developed an abstract painting in the Art Riot Collective studio. The final piece was scaled to an 8m x 5m wall installation, now prominently situated in the health centre’s foyer.
The commission demonstrates a thoughtful and engaging response to both the architectural environment and the cultural history of Coventry.

Art Riot Collective – Response to Jason Wilsher-Mills Exhibition (June–September 2024)
Art Riot Collective artists developed a group exhibition in response to Jason Wilsher-Mills: The Super Cool Digital Artist! at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum (22 June – 7 September 2024).
Artists including Ismatjahan Ravat, Ketan Mistry, Roxsmith, Bryony Line, Richard Raponi, Joe Patrick, Steven Willis, Johnathan, Bryn McKay, Tony Atkins, Darren, Corinne, Colleen, and Bri exhibited work inspired by Wilsher-Mills’ vibrant, technology-driven practice.
His work—spanning digital imagery, sculpture, and interactive elements, and rooted in personal experience, pop culture, and disability—encouraged ARC artists to explore bold colour, storytelling, and new approaches to making, reflecting on their own narratives and creative processes.
Originally trained in oil painting, Wilsher-Mills transitioned to digital media following disability, building an internationally recognised practice, with exhibitions at major institutions including Tate Modern and the V&A, and as recipient of the Adam Reynolds Award (2020).

My Two Brain; Jason Scott Tilley. ARC has received national media coverage for a major project supported by Arts Council England and partners, including features on BBC Newsnight and local BBC radio.
ARC’s mission is to challenge the narrative around disabled and neurodivergent artists by supporting their recognition within the art world, breaking down barriers, and creating new opportunities.
The project, My Two Brains by Jason Scott Tilley, brought together ten artists from the Coventry-based organisation Art Riot Collective (ARC) to respond creatively to his photographic archive.
Paintings, prints, and poetry developed through the project were exhibited at a contemporary studio dedicated to supporting neurodivergent and disabled artists. The work explores Tilley’s archive as a photographer diagnosed with early-onset dementia, with access and care shaping the project’s approach. The artists’ responses offer new perspectives on memory, authorship, and lived experience.

Roxsmith awared a devleoping creative practice grant from Art Council England.
Roxanne’s award focused on three key areas. Firstly, it explored access to a suitable studio space that enabled her to revisit and develop work over time, supporting a more sustained creative process.
Secondly, it guided engagement with the wider art world and strengthen her practice. Then Roxsmith took this experience and worked alongside an experienced artist—particularly an emerging Black female artist was identified for this role to support Roxsmith own identity as a balck woman. This supported Roxsmiths deepen of her learning, confidence, and critical reflection.
Finally, Roxsmith collaborated with an arts devleopment worker from Art Riot Collective who provided valuable guidance and help expand her creative skills in an accessible and inclusive way adapting processes and the environment.
This grant gave Roxsmith the foundation of her practice which she contonues to grow, helping establish her identity as an artist.

Artist Development – ActionSpace Visit, London
As part of Ketan’s artistic development, Art Riot Collective facilitated a visit to ActionSpace in London, enabling him to work alongside artist Nnena Kalu. This opportunity followed Ketan’s engagement with Kalu’s work at MK Gallery, where strong parallels were identified in their approaches to abstract painting through repetitive movement, colour, and rhythm.
During the visit, both artists worked simultaneously, drawing inspiration from one another through shared gestures, colour palettes, and mark-making processes. This exchange supported Ketan in developing new work while fostering a collaborative and reflective environment.
The experience highlights Art Riot Collective’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for disabled and neurodivergent artists to connect, learn from one another, and contribute to a more inclusive and evolving artistic landscape.

Roxsmith awared a devleoping creative practice grant from Art Council England.
Roxanne’s award focused on three key areas. Firstly, it explored access to a suitable studio space that enabled her to revisit and develop work over time, supporting a more sustained creative process.
Secondly, it guided engagement with the wider art world and strengthen her practice. Then Roxsmith took this experience and worked alongside an experienced artist—particularly an emerging Black female artist was identified for this role to support Roxsmith own identity as a balck woman. This supported Roxsmiths deepen of her learning, confidence, and critical reflection.
Finally, Roxsmith collaborated with an arts devleopment worker from Art Riot Collective who provided valuable guidance and help expand her creative skills in an accessible and inclusive way adapting processes and the environment.
This grant gave Roxsmith the foundation of her practice which she contonues to grow, helping establish her identity as an artist.

Art Riot Collective presented a group exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, featuring work by Roxsmith, Colleen, Steven, Corinne, Bryn, Lee Pritchard, Bryony Line, Joe Patrick, Matthew Wigmore, Ismatjahan Ravat, Darren Endicott, MunKyle, Joshua Clarke, Ketan Mistry, and Tony Atkins.
The curated abstract exhibition showcased recent works by the artists, including a large-scale piece that launched the gallery’s balcony space. A prominent work by Roxsmith defined the entrance, creating a striking and welcoming introduction for visitors.

The Reason for Painting – Mead Gallery Warwick Arts centre
The exhibition profiled a diverse group of emerging artists united through their exploration of colour and paint, using abstraction to reflect on contemporary life.
The Reason for Painting drew inspiration from the University of Warwick’s founding art collection,
Art Riot Collective artists Roxsmith, Bryony Line, Richard Raponi, Matthew Wigmore, and Ketan Mistry were featured in the exhibition. Alongside this, Mead Gallery created a replica of Art Riot Collective’s studio space, inviting both artists and members of the public to make work that was displayed as part of the exhibition.
Art Riot Collective also developed accessible interpretation and guidance, ensuring the space was inclusive and accessible to all audiences.

Art Riot Collective was invited to take over the MK Gallery workspace, sharing its approach through the practices of three collective artists. Roxsmith, Aleighan, and MunKyle exhibited their work and offered insight into their creative processes, emphasising the importance of enabling artists to develop their own methods and ensuring accessible ways of working.

Coventry Building Society raises money through the auctioning of art made by there employees. They raised £560 and donated it to Art Riot Collective's changing places facility.

This group exhibition showcased a curated selection of works created by Art Riot Collective artists during the project period. Featured artists included Richard Raponi, Roxsmith, Darren Endicott, Ketan Mistry, Joe Patrick, Ismatjahan Ravat, Matthew Wigmore, Joshua Clarke, Aleighan and Bryony Line.