London has no shortage of stunning sights to see. Some are simply gorgeous, while others are perplexing and awe-inspiring in equal measure. Meanwhile, others are simply indescribable – often in a very ‘only in London would you see this’ kind of way. One such place is the mind-blowing ‘House of Dreams’ in East Dulwich from artist Stephen Wright, which truly has to be seen to be believed.
Now, I might have stated above that the ‘House of Dreams’ is indescribable – but it’s kind of my job to do just that. So let’s give it a go. To start with, it is full – absolutely rammed full until every square space is taken over, and then some – of art. And what art it is… The art runs the gamut from charming to heartening, perplexing, and even at times almost terrifying.
The art is made up of an abundance of objects that have been found, created, spliced, morphed, and conjoined. They come from markets here in London and as far abroad as Mexico and India, and everywhere in between. Wright makes the displays by mosaicing, sticking, and stitching objects into the walls and ceilings. Among the thousands of objects are ‘memory-boards’, broken dolls, teeth moulds, lightbulbs, glasses, toys, cuttings of hair, and much more.
What is the ‘House of Dreams’
The ‘House of Dreams’ is a museum, started in 1998, that acts as a diary for artist Stephen Wright. With it, he reflects on his legacy and collects together art and commentary that speaks to the past, present, and future. The pieces range across themes from Wright’s life: “life, love, loss, childhood bullying, moving forward after trauma and joy. All of the things many of us have to deal with in life”.
Wright describes the museum as “a home for the discarded and unwanted”. When viewed through the lens of the museum being his diary, it makes the ‘House of Dreams’ a truly touching place to visit. It may be wacky; it may be wild; but it is full of heart and care, and a whole hell of a lot of things to see!
The museum isn’t just contained to the rooms within the house, either, as it extends outwards to envelop everything it can. The art encompasses the exterior of the house and the surrounding land.
The ‘House of Dreams’ is typically open once a month (after all Wright still lives in the house!) and you can book a visit here. There is currently only one date left for 2024 – December 7. Visits will restart in 2025 in March and tickets are available for the following dates:
- Saturday, March 29
- Saturday, April 26
- Saturday, May 31
- Sunday, June 22
- Saturday, July 26
- Saturday, August 30
Each date has five visiting periods to choose from: 9:45-11am, 11:15am-12:30pm, 12:45-2pm, 2:15-3:30pm, and 3:45-5pm.
You can learn more about Stephen Wright and his art here. Or head here to do a deep-dive into Stephen Wright’s ‘House of Dreams’.