Sarah Shaw brings her homecoming retrospective solo exhibition ‘Diableries’ to Huddersfield Art Gallery, a place that holds special memories for her as a budding young artist.
Although now based in Brighton, Sarah grew up in Rastrick and studied at Huddersfield Foundation College before going on to study for a fine art degree in Falmouth.
Sarah said: “I studied at what was then Brighouse Girls’ Grammar School and every day would go after school and drink in the wonderful art at the gallery practically next door!
“When I studied in Huddersfield at the Foundation college, my routine changed to staring in wonder at the treasures that Huddersfield Art Gallery had to offer.
“I’ve spent many a happy hour there, in those wonderful rooms, full of other people’s imaginings, so you can imagine how excited and grateful I am to be actually showing my own paintings in Unit 7’s beautiful space.”
Sarah has some famous fans in the music world, her work features in private collections around the world, including those of musicians Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones and Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead.
Her artwork also features on the cover of critically acclaimed 2016 album ‘Not to Disappear’ by Daughter and as a backdrop for the band’s live shows.
Sarah’s paintings hover between figuration and abstraction. This homecoming retrospective will mark her ninth solo show since leaving art college, adding to over 30 group exhibitions both at home and abroad.
The exhibition features works that have been made as a response to the turbulent last few years, including the first chance to see the Smoke Room series; an entirely new body of work consisting of 23 paintings on Welsh slate, made against a backdrop of ongoing crises at home and abroad, including the recent atrocities in Ukraine.
The exhibition is now open and free to view until Saturday June 18 2022, Wednesday to Saturday, 11am-4pm.
Also running at Huddersfield Art Gallery is the Flourish Award 2022 for excellence in printmaking.
Established in 2009 by the West Yorkshire Print Workshop to champion printmakers working in Yorkshire, the Flourish Award now celebrates excellence in printmaking across the UK.
With artists shortlisted from open submission, Flourish showcases creativity, skill, originality, and innovation in traditional handmade print: from relief print and intaglio to screenprint, lithography and more.
The work of the shortlisted artists is currently on display at Unit 7 and will run until Saturday June 11 2022.
Both exhibitions are at Huddersfield Art Gallery: Unit 7, The Piazza Shopping Centre, Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield, HD1 2RS.
