What is worth keeping? New exhibition transforms discarded objects into acts of care
- Abigail Cooper
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
The things we choose to keep reveal what we care about. At a time when so much is treated as disposable, Finders Keepers asks a simple but urgent question: What is worth keeping?
Presented by EDE Projects in collaboration with Blanco Gallery, Finders Keepers brings together artists Eloise Dethier-Eaton and Charly Helyar in an exhibition exploring how acts of care, repair and preservation can transform the overlooked into something precious. Curated by Adela Blanco, the exhibition suggests that value is not something fixed or intrinsic, but something created through labour, memory and our willingness to care.
Although working in distinct ways, both artists begin with materials that have already lived another life. Through painting, sculpture and assemblage, discarded objects become carefully tended repositories of memory, inviting us to reconsider not only what we throw away, but also what we choose to preserve.
Belgo-British artist Eloise Dethier-Eaton rescues abandoned boards from skips and pavements before painstakingly repainting them using the centuries-old tradition of trompe-l'œil. What first appears to be marble, stone or richly grained timber is, in fact, discarded wood transformed through meticulous craftsmanship. By creating moments of visual deception, Dethier-Eaton quietly unsettles the hierarchies we assign to materials, revealing how value is shaped as much by perception as by substance. Her practice becomes a form of material stewardship, extending the life of objects that might otherwise be lost to landfill.
Charly Helyar's intimate Matrices series similarly begins with fragments of the discarded. Broken furniture is dismantled and reassembled into jewel-like constructions containing tiny oil paintings on copper and linen - works small enough to rest in the palm of a hand. These contemporary reliquaries preserve fleeting domestic moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed, elevating the everyday through acts of devotion and care.
Alongside her artistic practice, Helyar has worked for many years as a paramedic. Daily encounters with people during moments of vulnerability have given her a profound understanding of care and the fragility of ordinary life. That experience quietly informs her work, where salvaged materials and everyday human experiences are treated with equal tenderness. Her paintings ask us to value the seemingly insignificant and to recognise that the smallest moments are often those we carry with us the longest.
Together, the artists suggest that preservation itself can be a creative act. Whether restoring discarded materials or safeguarding fragile memories, their practices reveal care as an investment of time, attention and belief in the possibility of renewal. In both bodies of work, value emerges not from rarity or expense, but from the relationships we build with objects, places and one another.
The exhibition has particular resonance with Rye, a town long associated with antique dealers, collectors, foragers, magpies and treasure hunters. Here, the search for hidden value has long been woven into the town's identity, making it a fitting setting for an exhibition that celebrates finding possibility where others see waste.
Curator Adela Blanco says:
"Finders Keepers is an exhibition about the transformative power of care. Eloise Dethier-Eaton and Charly Helyar remind us that value is never inherent, it is created through attention, craftsmanship and the relationships we build with objects, places and one another. Their practices encourage us to slow down, look more closely and rethink what deserves to be preserved. Bringing these artists together at EDE Projects felt especially meaningful in Rye, where a culture of collecting, foraging and rediscovery mirrors the spirit of the exhibition."
Eloise Dethier-Eaton says: "I always think there's a wonderful energy to artworks made from found objects. There's the history in the found object, the luck it takes to find it and the potential for future interpretation in the hands and mind of the finder. These layers can imbue found objects with real character and charm. I'm delighted to see how these dynamics will play out between Charly's work and my own in Finders Keepers."
Charly Helyar says: "Eloise and I first talked about this exhibition towards the end of our MA at City & Guilds of London Art School, so it's exciting to finally realise it together. We are both adding value to materials destined for the tip, repurposing what others see as rubbish into objects that carry new meaning and emotional resonance."
At a time when consumption often encourages us to replace rather than repair, Finders Keepers offers a quietly hopeful alternative. It asks what becomes possible when we choose restoration over disposal, attention over neglect and care over convenience.
Exhibition Information
Finders Keepers
Artists: Eloise Dethier-Eaton & Charly Helyar
Curated by: Adela Blanco
Venue
EDE Projects
4 Cinque Ports Street
Rye, East Sussex TN31 7AD
Dates
28 August to 20 September 2026
Opening Hours
Fridays–Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday
11am–5pm
Private View
Saturday 29 August 2026
3–5pm
Instagram: @edeprojects
About EDE Projects
EDE Projects is an artist-led studio, gallery and project space in Rye, East Sussex, founded by artist and curator Eloise Dethier-Eaton. Through exhibitions, workshops and collaborations, it champions thoughtful contemporary practice and creates opportunities for dialogue between artists from Rye and beyond.
About Blanco Gallery
Blanco Gallery is an international platform supporting emerging contemporary artists and curatorial projects. Founded by Venezuelan-Spanish independent curator Adela Blanco, the platform is dedicated to fostering cross-cultural dialogue, long-term artistic collaboration and innovative approaches to exhibition-making.
About the Artists
Eloise Dethier-Eaton is a Belgo-British artist and curator whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, printmaking, photography and paper marbling. Her work explores environmental, material and emotional value through acts of restoration, illusion and transformation. She graduated from Goldsmiths before completing an MA in Fine Art at City & Guilds of London Art School where she was later awarded the Decorative Surfaces Fellowship with the support of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers. She lives and works between London and Rye where she founded EDE Projects.
Charly Helyar is a British artist whose work explores memory, domesticity and human relationships through painting and sculpture. Using reclaimed furniture, copper and linen, she creates intimate works that honour everyday experiences through extraordinary craftsmanship. Alongside her artistic practice she has worked for many years as a paramedic, bringing a unique understanding of care, vulnerability and the human condition to her work.
About the Curator
Adela Blanco is a Venezuelan–Spanish independent curator based in the UK. She studied Art History, Cultural Management, and National Museums and Heritage at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Her curatorial practice is shaped by her multicultural heritage and by a commitment to creating encounters that challenge boundaries, celebrate diversity and foster genuine dialogue between artists and audiences. She has worked with institutions including the Centre Pompidou, Musée Maillol, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum and was awarded funding from the Circles of Art in 2026.
Press enquiries
Suzi Christie Blueberry PR 07590 591140 suzi@blueberry-pr.co.uk
Instagram: @edeprojects
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