RCA Secret 2016 - London and Dubai

Every year the deadline for submitting my invited entries into the RCA Secret seems to sneak up on me; but not so this year – at least that was the plan.

I've exhibited in every one of the Royal College of Art's secret postcard exhibitions for the past twelve years (is that correct? – if not, I'm sure that at least one the dedicated RCA Secret collectors can put me right on that score), and over the years my submissions have tended to become somewhat more elaborate and three dimensional. Without giving anything away (as it's a secret), I'll just say that my three entries for this year are no exception, and are, in fact, more sculptural than in previous years (a few examples of which you see here) – which is why I'm only just gonna be able to finish them in time for this Monday's submission deadline.

For those of you who don't know about the RCA Secret, it is a show of around 2000 original postcard-sized artworks by 'internationally acclaimed artists, designers, cultural icons, alumni, and up-and-coming graduates', exhibited between two venues – the Upper Gulbenkian Gallery, Royal College of Art, Kensington, London (7-15 April 2016), and Art Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai (16-19 March 2016).

All of the cards go on sale for £55 each in London, and 500EAD in Dubai - with all the proceeds going to the RCA Fund, providing scholarships and bursaries for students. And the secret part of it, I hear you ask? Well, each postcard is exhibited anonymously, with the creator only being revealed once the card has been bought by its collector.

If you would like to buy any of the postcards from the shows (especially the London one) them I suggest arriving very early on the day of the sale as the queues can be very long. Previous years have seen the hardcore few camping out the night (and in some cases, days) before the show opens; which, I'm guessing, is why the RCA has decided to stagger this year's sale over six days – releasing new cards throughout the sale period. And if you do decide to go along, I advise that you make a long list of your favourite pieces, as it's quite likely that your first choices will be gone before you get to the payment desk. But, saying that, in previous years, some cards by really big names in the art world have been known to still be available late in the day.

Royal College of Art, Kensington
Kensington Gore
London SW7 2EU

Exhibition
8–15 April, 11am – 6pm
Late opening
13 & 15 April, until 8pm

Sale
10 April, 8am – 6pm
11–15 April, 11am – 6pm

COLLECTION DAY 16 April, 9am – 5pm

Free admission

Art Dubai
RCA Secret Dubai, takes place at Art Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, 16 to 19 March 2016. Please note that the official Art Dubai Opening is 16 March. For more information, see Art Dubai Visitor Information.

Exhibition
16–19 March