A MODERN fairytale awaits visitors to the W3 Gallery in Acton from Friday, May 16.

West London Arts Collective will present a group show in response to the theme "Down to Earth (with the Fairies)".

Running until June 1, it will feature a variety of media including painting, photography, sculpture and video.

Martin Lau, 41, curator and an Ealing resident since the age of two, said: “This show is trying to see past the surface romanticism of fairytales and folklore, whether that be at the saccharine or the melodramatically dark end.”

Artists were invited to submit works for consideration and the results have returned old and new fairytales.

Tom McCullough, 72, created an oil painting titled The Wonderful Wonderful Soup-stonem, inspired by folk story, Stone Soup.

Martin said, as fairytales were essentially about the human experience, anywhere could be the potential setting of a fairytale.

“These stories tap into the human psyche in a very particular, non-rational way,” he said, “and I hope to relate that to people's everyday existence, hence "Down to Earth", rather than "Away" with the Fairies.”

Martin revealed that one of the videos to be featured was partially shot in Brent Lodge Park and Ealing councillor Jon Ball, was on the crew.

Work will be exhibited by members of the collective, alongside contributions from around London, the UK and Europe.

The W3 Gallery, at 185 Acton High Street, will exhibit the show Tuesday-Saturday, 11-7pm and Sunday, 2-5pm.

Opening night is 6-9pm.

For more details on the collective visit: www.facebook.com/westlondonartscollective