Like all footballing punks, Nicole Chui knows when to rip it up and start again. For her debut solo exhibition here at OOF – the result of a three month residency at the gallery – the London-based embroidery artist and co-founder of Baes FC has torn countless football shirts to shreds and reassembled them into a chaotic, immersive, dizzying installation.
Nicole Chui is a London-based embroidery artist known for her distinctively messy, brash, and disruptive style. A co-founder of London-based football club Baes FC – a grassroots community for women, trans, and non-binary people of Asian heritage – Chui's work increasingly references her deep connection to football.
A graduate of London College of Fashion, Chui has previously taken part in group shows at Somerset House, Newlyn Art Exchange and The MAC, Belfast. 'Ruined' is her debut solo exhibition.
Walking into the gallery will be like stumbling into a spider’s web made of Umbro and Adidas off-cuts, all in a celebration of passion, belief and fandom.
Inspired by an online comment (‘You're ruining a perfectly good football shirt!!!’), the month-long exhibition acts as a call for positive disruption.
'Ruined' delves into the complexities of ‘real’ versus ‘fake’ fandom, the joyful dynamics of the women's football community and the potential for radical individuality in football. Chui's ultra-DIY approach transforms football shirts and player portraits into multi coloured canvases for confrontational new ideas.
Timed to coincide with the Women's Euros, Chui’s exhibition includes archive and newly developed artworks inspired by personal narratives and the diverse individuals she’s met through football. The show reveals how deeply the game is integrated into her practice, providing emotional inspiration and acting as the focal point for new collaborations.
The OOF Residency provides funding and mentoring to artists making new football-based work, but this is the first time they've held a stand-alone exhibition in the upstairs space since 2023.
It's a significant moment in the gallery's residency program that they hope will challenge perceptions and open up dialogues about football and art, and what it means when the two are brought together.
Show runs 4 July - 2 August, Upstairs at OOF.
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Admission is free. Use entrance for the Tottenham Experience at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Open Mon, Thu, Fri 10-5, Sat 11-5, Sun 12-4 and Mon 10-5. Closed Tue & Wed. Opening hours are subject to change on event days.
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