A new botanical art exhibition has opened at Huddersfield Art Gallery which invites people to look at plants in a different way.
‘Entwined: Plants in Contemporary Painting’ features artwork by leading British painters, including winners of the John Moores and Contemporary British Painting Prize.
Several Yorkshire-based artists are featured including Judith Tucker (Holmfirth), Helen Thomas (Wakefield), Iain Nicholls (Barnsley), Joanna Whittle (Sheffield) alongside other UK artists Amanda Ansell, Bryony Benge-Abbott, Hannah Brown, Graham Crowley, Sam Douglas, Michele Fletcher, Barbara Howey, Linda Ingham, Juliette Losq, Paula MacArthur, Joe Packer, Julian Perry, Narbi Price and Harvey Taylor.
The paintings on show work with and against the rich traditions of the various visual traditions of depicting plants, from botanical illustration to decoration and design. One of the highlights is Julian Perry’s monumental Benacre Birch series which had its premiere at the Venice Biennale, a major international cultural exhibition.
Kirklees Council leader Clr Shabir Pandor said: “This exhibition invites people to slow down and take in the close up world of plants. It’s a perfect opportunity to take a break from our busy lives and take advantage of yet another fantastic free and accessible cultural experience in Kirklees.”
Entwined is curated by artist-curators Judith Tucker and Barbara Howey with Grant Scanlan, curator at Huddersfield Art Gallery.
The exhibition is supported by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, whose botanists provided another perspective on the artworks in the exhibition.
The free exhibition is at Huddersfield Art Gallery: Unit 7, The Piazza Shopping Centre, Huddersfield, and runs until January 28 2023. Opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday (11am-4pm).
