Four Fine Arts students at Kingston have set up a guerilla cafe and art gallery in their home to raise money for their final show. 

Robert Carter, Joe Smith, Lorenzo Tebano and Charlie Sandford, all in their final year, opened up their house on Portland Road this week.

The temporary diner offered an array of drinks and snacks at reasonable prices, and art from 21 students on Kingston’s fine art course adorned the walls. Carter said: “Our house has been totally transformed.”

The Furry Cup taps into a recent trend for ‘pop-up’ cafes attached to various major galleries around the world. Whilst it might not be able to compete with the Michelin-starred dining which London restaurant Sketch will offer next month at a temporary cafe in the Royal Academy of Arts, it did provide a designated smoking area.

Visitors could sample a ‘Heart Attack Sandwich,’ French onion soup or cupcakes and the chefs welcomed off-menu requests.  As the cafe was technically illegal, all payments took the form of donations. Works on show ranged from paintings and video installation to etchings and sculpture.

Each year, fine art students at Kingston come up with inventive ways to fundraise for their final show in June so that they can lay on an impressive celebration, a quality catalogue and proper curation for the exhibition. On November 20, a gypsy dance with a seven-piece band played a fundraiser in the Knights Park bar. Mr Sandford said: “It was the most energetic night at Knights Park - ever.”

The cafe’s unusual name nods to the teacup covered with Chinese gazelle fur by Swiss surrealist Meret Oppenheim. Mr Sandford said that the housemates intend to repeat their culinary venture soon, so keep an eye out for posters featuring the famous image.