Huddersfield Art Gallery will be presenting its second exhibition in its temporary home at the Piazza shopping centre. ‘Cut from Cloth’, a solo exhibition by Salford-based painter Keith Ashcroft, will open on Saturday January 22 at Unit 7.
Ashcroft’s paintings are constructed over extended periods of time and are inspired by field trips. They explore the relationship between painter and space, using painted motifs like tables, chairs and columns along with abstract elements to create ambiguous and nostalgic internal spaces.
Ashcroft has exhibited his work across the UK and was shortlisted for the Contemporary British Painting Prize in 2018. When the prize exhibition was staged at Huddersfield Art Gallery it led to a chance encounter with the town’s Queensgate Market which has left its indelible mark on Ashcroft and his work over the last three years.
Ashcroft, who has created a series of paintings inspired by the market building which will feature in the exhibition, said: “This architectural gem, which sits so unassumingly in Huddersfield town centre, has provided me with such a rich source of imagery and inspiration.
“Perhaps there’s something to be said for making work about a particular place from afar, from the confines of a studio in a different town, postcode and county, where memory and recollection remain fresh and renewed.”
Clr Will Simpson, Cabinet member for culture and greener Kirklees, said: “I’m very proud that our indoor market and its unique architecture has inspired the work of Keith Ashcroft that will be featured in this new exhibition.
“We are committed to placing culture at the heart of our community and this exhibition of paintings in Huddersfield town centre is free and inclusive for all.”
The exhibition runs until Saturday April 2. Huddersfield Art Gallery: Unit 7 is located at the Piazza shopping centre and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 4pm. The exhibition is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
