Loving this town: FridgeStreet brings Northampton’s buildings to life for Architecture Week ’25
Northampton’s buildings and people will take centre stage this October in Loving this town, a new exhibition by local illustrator Kardi Somerfield, founder of FridgeStreet.
The exhibition forms part of Architecture Week ’25 (6–10 October) and will be hosted at 78 Derngate Charles Rennie Mackintosh House, Northampton in collaboration with MWK Architects.
At the heart of the show is a large-format townscape made up of hundreds of buildings and people, inviting visitors to see the familiar in fresh and surprising detail. Alongside it, Kardi will present carefully curated collections of her building illustrations, plus several of her original concertina travel sketchbooks - the seeds from which FridgeStreet grew.
This exhibition also has a distinctive production story. All canvas prints, large-format pieces, postcards, and display units have been produced at HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough. As a Category C prison, Five Wells focuses on training and rehabilitation through extensive workshops in woodwork, metalwork, print, and signage.
“I used to avoid drawing buildings altogether – I was terrible at them,” says Kardi. “Now having drawn around 400 places I think I've cracked it. This exhibition is my way of celebrating Northampton, one building at a time. It feels even more special knowing that the work has been produced locally, through a collaboration that supports training and rehabilitation at Five Wells.”
On Thursday 9 October, Kardi will deliver her talk: From Wonky Windows to FridgeStreet: Learning to Love Drawing Buildings. In a light-hearted but insightful session, she will share the unlikely story of how struggling with architectural sketches on holiday led to a flourishing illustration practice rooted in her hometown. Expect tales of creative mishaps, urban inspiration, and her evolving relationship with Northampton’s architecture. Tickets for this and the other talks during Architecture Week can be found here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/architecture-week-25-tickets-1387505820259?aff=oddtdtcreator
The exhibition can be viewed in 78 Derngate Gallery from 7-11 October - admission is free.