Starting the week blue with ‘blue Monday’ end it with a splash of colour at the vibrant Chris Ofili exhibition at the Tate Britain.  The exhibition showcases 45 pieces in an amalgamation of the artist’s life work.  From pencil drawings to watercolours, Ofili is one of the most acclaimed artists of his time bagging the Turner Prize in 1998.

Using a variety of media to create his works which aims to bridge the gap between sacred and popular cultural beliefs, Ofili draws inspiration from Zimbabwean cave paintings to funk and hip-hop icons, with more recent works deriving from Biblical themes.  Even spotting a ball of elephant dung interspersed among the vibrant colours, glitter and magazine cut outs is not unheard of.

The exhibition opened yesterday at the Tate Britain and runs until 16^th May 2010, with the shows highlight set to be No Woman, No Cry.  Created in the aftermath of the Steven Lawrence inquiry the portrait depicts a female figure softly weeping.

Entrance to the exhibition costs £10.00 and £8.00 concession.

To help Londoners celebrate the most important morning of the week, The Berkeley hotel has selected its favourite breakfast treats and and as of 14 February, will deliver them right to your doorstep.  Think long lazy mornings with the Sunday papers, your favourite tracks playing in the background and a five star hotel breakfast – all without leaving the bedroom – apart from answering the door to the delivery man that is.

The breakfast delivery service is available on Sundays in central london and priced at £60 for two people sharing.   (Bed)Room serivce includes home-made granola with berries and fresh yoghurt, smoked salmon sandwiches, freshly squeezed juices and fruit salad, croissants and pastries baked that same morning, miniature jams and butter and the newspaper of your choice.

Oh yes and there’s also a half bottle of chilled Laurent Perrier champagne of course!  And just for Valentine’s Day, the sandwiches and pastries will be carved into romantic heart shapes and a single red rose from McQueens will be added to the booty – now that’s one package guaranteed to get you out of all sorts of trouble!

www.the-berkeley.co.uk

Fans of all ages will be flocking to cinemas this spring to see Tim Burton’s new grown-up Alice in Wonderland film, which is out on 5 March 2010. What better time to pick up the classic by Lewis Carroll and rediscover the original story?

For those planning to re-read the book, by far the most beautiful edition in print is the Everyman’s Library hardback children’s classic edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. With original woodblock engravings of Sir John Tenniel’s drawings, among the most famous of all literary illustrations.

Readers can revisit the magical world of Wonderland with its peculiar inhabitants including the terrifying Queen of Hearts, the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the infuriating Tweedledum and Tweedledee and the eccentric Hatter with his never-ending ‘Mad Tea-Party’.

The two books – rich with curious puns, nonsense and parody – were first published in 1865 and 1872 respectively and are considered equal to some of the great adult works of English literature and of course two of the greatest children’s books ever written.  This edition, with its silk ribbon and sewn full cloth binding, is an adornment to any bookshelf and will stand the test of time in the same way as the immortal Alice.

The iconic Swedish brand Acne has officially unveiled its new, somewhat unexpected, line of furniture in Paris at the Hotel Pozzo de Borgo.

The supercool and edgy brand has thus far been best known for its precision cut denims and quirky dresses, however it’s maybe not such a huge surprise that they should foray into homewares too, their designs embracing all that can be said for an up-to-the-minute, urban-infused lifestyle. The brand in fact started in an arena outside of fashion – as an advertising and graphic design firm – so the adventurous design streak has always been present. The range of sofas play with upholstery in the same way that their creative team usually play with denim to create worn-in yet form-fitting clothing with intended longevity.

Creative Director Jonny Johansson described the key inspiration behind the collection as Carl Malmsten, one of the most archetypal Swedish furniture designers, well known for his Nya Berlin, or New Berlin, sofa. Put out of production in 1949, Malmsten’s portfolio was positively begging for a modern makeover by a creative design house. Said Johansson, ‘As we do with fashion we played with proportion, lineage and structure – stretching, squashing and pulling the simplistic shape to create new sculptural forms.’ The indigo colour, unsurprisingly, draws on the strong link Acne have forged with denim through their infamous jeans – ‘For me’, said Johansson, ‘denim is always fashion.’

If recent films like Eclipse and Avatar have proved too fantastical for your taste, INVICTUS is here to offer some light relief. On Sunday January 31, four time Oscar winner director Clint Eastwood and his Oscar winning cast, Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, The Dark Knight) and Matt Damon, (Good Will Hunting, the Bourne franchise) will be in London’s Leicester Square to attend the UK premiere of INVICTUS.

The film is based upon the inspiring true story of Nelson Mandela, at the time he was South Africa’s newly elected president, uniting the post-apartheid nation as they prepare to host the 1995 World Cup. The Springboks national Rugby team become both champions and a galvanizing force of hope, as Mandela – an extraordinary performance by Morgan Freeman, together with Springboks captain Francois Pienaar- played by Matt Damon, unite South Africans through the universal language of sport. 

We all moan and groan about the recession and life’s hardships, but films like INVICTUS are a sharp wake up call, reminding us of how fortunate we are, and what real adversity actually looks like.
 

INVICTUS will be released in the UK by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 5, 2010.