About this Event
Learning from Le Corbusier: A Life Drawing Night with The Modulor, The 5 Principles & The Bathers
Is the Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, writer and urban planner Le Corbusier still relevant?
Today he is hailed as a pioneer of Modern Architecture, and few would dispute his impact on the way we plan our towns and cities. The truth is, we are already living inside his ideas.
But before he became the father of modern architecture, Le Corbusier was a painter of nudes, a collector of shells, and a man obsessed with one question: how does a human figure occupy space? He practised as both artist and architect, dividing his day in two — the studio before lunch, the office after. For twenty years he sketched the same body: standing, reaching, reclining — until it became the Modulor, his golden-ratio measure for designing everything from door handles and furniture to landscapes and entire cities.
Tonight, that body is in the room with us.
We will use it as our starting point to revisit Corbusier’s design principles and discover how they still resonate with each of our own creative languages. Welcome to a very special life-drawing night with one of history’s most radical creative minds as our unofficial guest host :)
Art Ref for this session: https://uk.pinterest.com/earlymasterworkslifeDrawing/le-corbusier/
Life Drawing Ref: https://uk.pinterest.com/earlymasterworkslifeDrawing/life-drawing/
Past Gathering Photos: https://uk.pinterest.com/earlymasterworkslifeDrawing/life-drawing-london-earlymasterworkscom/
Cover Image Credit: Photo by Willy Rizzo for Paris Match, 1953. - In this rare color photograph taken by Willy Rizzo in 1953, Le Corbusier stands poised between two of his own abstract paintings, offering a glimpse into the multidimensional genius of one of modern architecture’s most influential figures. Captured during an exhibition of his visual art, the image presents the architect not amid blueprints or concrete, but immersed in the bold, gestural language of color and form. His paintings—rooted in the Purist ideals he developed alongside Amédée Ozenfant—mirror the clarity, rhythm, and spatial logic that define his architectural oeuvre. This portrait not only reveals Le Corbusier’s lesser-known artistic pursuits but also underscores the seamless integration of art and architecture at the heart of his modernist vision.
Model:
About the Host:
Hello! My name is Y Chan — you might also know me as Rose or Karbi — and I'm the founder of the Early Masterworks Creative Club. I was born in Beijing but grew up in Hong Kong, and I trained as an architect at the University of Hong Kong and Cornell University. After that, I worked and lived in all sorts of fascinating places — New York City, Tokyo, Shanghai, Brittany in France and Rovinj in Croatia — before my husband and I landed in London and decided to make it our permanent home about three years ago.
I love being surrounded by all-round creatives. My father, mother, husband and I — we're all what I'd call moonlighters, constantly juggling side projects and simply unable to stop creating new things, whether that's a machine, a building, a drawing, a business, a story, a knitwear or an algorithm. We just can't stop creating — and I absolutely love it. I founded my first life drawing club in Hong Kong over ten years ago as a pet project. Then, in October 2024, I launched the EM Life Drawing Club at the Firepit Art Gallery in Greenwich, to create a safe and welcoming space where fellow creatives can meet, share ideas and connect in a relaxed, non-judgemental environment. Many new friendships, romances and collaborative relationships have blossomed there since.
About :
This creative experience is brought to you by the Early Masterworks (EM) Creative Club. We're best known for our themed, untutored life drawing gatherings in some of London's most one-of-a-kind venues. You may also know us from the creative experiences we've created with the National Gallery, Somerset House, London Design Festival, Open House Festival London, SOHO HOUSE, Urbanism/Architecture Bi-City Biennale (UABB), The European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Drawing Room, Firepit Art Gallery, Studio Wayne McGregor, London Latvian Centre, Arcus Sounds and more.
We create a warm, welcoming space for people of every background, age and skill level to meet, drink, draw and create. We don't teach drawing techniques — instead, we curate inspiring themes and prompts to lead particiants through a creative journey, and invite participants to share. We believe art connects people, and that sharing sparks creativity.
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About :
The home of choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor and his creative collaborations, Studio Wayne McGregor is a world-class creative arts space based at Here East in the Queen Elizabeth Park and part of the technological and creative community re-imagining the cultural landscape of east London that now includes Sadlers Wells East and the V&A.
It comprises of three extraordinary studio spaces and a series of playful environments in which to collaborate, make and create. It hosts all of McGregor's creative work and collaborations as well as artist development and creative learning programmes.
Alongside the creative work of choreographers, Studio Wayne McGregor hosts a number of unique visual art pieces, including a work from Ben Cullen Williams on loan from his Studio, original artworks by Haroon Mirza and We Not I, and a bespoke floor based on a work by Bauhaus artist Anni Albers with kind permission from The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. The works are installed in the unique hanging and presentation opportunities of the We Not I designed space.
Location:
Studio 2, Studio Wayne McGregor
Here East Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E15 2GW
- Tube: Stratford
- Train: Hackney Wick, Stratford International
- Bus: 388, 241
- Nearest station: Hackney Wick on London Overground; Here East shuttle bus service from Stratford and Stratford International
We are a building within a building , but once inside all of our studios are step free and interconnected. More HERE and please check image below :)
Ticket:
- EM} Super Pass bulk tickets discount(>50% off): https://earlymasterworks.com/join/
EM} Super Pass bulk tickets discount(Save up to 70%)
- £8 (Concession, Limited Number - we trust you to buy your tickets accordingly so please be honest about your situation-we appreciate it.),
- £15 (Ticket with all Art Supplies)
- We do not have a dinner menu.
- Eventbrite Ticket fees are on top of this price - Sorry :(
- Concession tickets are only for
Government allowance/Pension recipients of any kind
Full-time Students
Over 60s/Under 25s
*Proof of eligibility will be required on entry to the events.
Rundown:
Doors open: 3:45pm
Life drawing: 4 to 5:30pm (mix of short and long poses, with short break)
Door close: 6pm
House Rules:
- NO REFUNDS - Due to the amount of time and effort invested in event planning, we are unable to give refunds for this event.
- Book ASAP - Please book online for you and your friends in advance so we know how to arrange the seats.
- Some basic drawing materials and paper will be available for free but if you wish to bring your own sketchbooks and materials please do! Drawing boards, small tables and cosy sofa seats are all provided on a first come-first served basis.
- Discrimination and bullying in any form will not be tolerated at our events.
- This is a 18+ event. We operate a challenge 25 policy at the bar, so please bring ID with you.
- Photography and Filming take place during workshops and gallery opening times. Please let us know if you do not want to be on film. All material captured is used for either our social media or future promotion.
More questions? Just ask! 🍻✨
Event venue & nearby stays
Studio Wayne McGregor, Here East Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.