Using a simple word game as their starting point, a collective of illustrators called Gumbo have created a surreal series of drawings that are now on display at the Apthorp Gallery, North Finchley.

“One person used a well-known phrase of three words, changed one of the words and passed it on to the next person, who in turn did the same, until we had a series of 12 lines of text,“ explains artist Samara Andrews.

“The story twists and turns to produce bizarre word combinations and unexpected happenings. Each artist then responded visually to these words to produce a rich mix of images.“

The original phrase, Blue Suede Shoes, also the name of the exhibition, was switched and swapped among six artists who created some stunning and strange images.

You will almost certainly have already seen the illustrations of Samara Andrews, Eivind Gulliksen, Harriet Russell, Chris Andrews, Sarah Horne and Sandra Howgate, who form the collective, as their work regularly adorns book covers, national newspapers, magazines and posters.

Images from this exhibition will form a book produced by independent publisher Duke Press and limited to 120 copies. They will be available for sale at the show and feature a screen-printed cover with hand-stitching by the artists.

Blue Suede Shoes is at the Apthorp Gallery, artsdepot until May 1. Gallery is open daily from noon to 4pm. Details: 020 8369 5454