A Lifetime of Making exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills Gallery in Farsley
The latest exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills gallery, housed in historic former mill buildings in Farsley, celebrates the work and long careers of two local women artists. A Lifetime of Making showcases paintings by Leeds-based Sheila El-Hassani and ceramics by Loretta Braganza who is based in York.
Braganza, who was born in Mumbai, came to the UK in 1965 and began her practice as a ceramicist in 1990 following a career in dance, graphic arts, textile design and sculpture. Her work, which is grounded in her training in sculpture, comprises abstract forms, taut edges, clean lines, complex mark making, decorated with an austere colour palette. Her distinctive style has earned her exhibitions and commissions as well as awards from the Crafts Council and Arts Council England. Her latest series, Fruit and Bloom, which features in the exhibition is inspired by fruit remembered from her childhood.
El-Hassani studied at Leeds College of Art in the 1950s, specializing in graphic art and graduated from the University of Leeds in 1955. She became a teacher, first in England and later in Iraq where she travelled with her husband Mahdi who at the time was working for the United Nations. On returning to her native Yorkshire in 1970 she continued her career as an educator and upon retirement began developing her creative practice making drawings, gouache paintings and pen and ink images of people and places in Leeds. She has exhibited widely locally and nationally.
Don’t miss out - stay up to date with our lifestyle newsletter
The exhibition was co-curated by art director Anna Turzynski, who has been in post for seven months, with her predecessor Jane Kay who oversaw the establishment and development of the gallery for ten years. “This was a project that Jane had been developing for a while during her time here and while we were having our handover meetings we decided this was an opportunity to celebrate the fortitude of being an artist – and we felt it was really important to have the show while we could,” says Turzynski. “It is remarkable the similarities between Loretta and Sheila’s lives and careers. They were both graphic designers before they became artists with a very clear understanding of shape and form. They have reinvented themselves at various points and you can really see that in the work as you walk through the exhibition. I thought that was really remarkable and quite a rare opportunity to curate.” She adds: “The exhibition takes you on a journey through the artistic development of both makers. It is fascinating to see the changes – some apparent, others more subtle – that mark this journey through many series right up to the present day.”
The show combines and presents Braganza’s ceramic works and the paintings and drawings of El-Hassani in an interesting way. “There is always a risk when you have 2D and 3D work together that you get 2D on the wall and 3D on the plinth but here at Sunny Bank Mills we have access to beautiful pieces of historic mill fittings and furniture to use. I wanted to bring a sense of domesticity using that furniture to bridge the gaps between the two bodies of work. We have put some of Sheila’s beautiful drawings on shelves so that people imagine this work being in their home. There is quite a lot of similarity in the textures that Lorretta achieves on her ceramics and patterns that Sheila achieves in her paintings, so I have tried to bring out those parallels such as when the arch of someone’s back in one of Sheila’s paintings mirrors the curve in a piece of Loretta’s work. It is lovely to create those moments and it encourages people to look in a different way.”
The response to the exhibition which opened earlier this month has been very positive. “It has been really successful,” says Turzynski. “The majority of the artworks are for sale and sales have been really strong so far. Loretta’s work is extremely collectable, as is Sheila’s – it is a little slice of Leeds. These stunning gouache paintings – anyone who is a fan of the city will want one of those in their living room. We have a lot of regular visitors to the gallery and they think this is amazing. We also have an audience who maybe don’t normally go to galleries and they get to experience really high-quality art.”
Turzynski hopes that the show will be an inspiration to art lovers and creatives alike. “Loretta said to me when we were installing the exhibition that she has seven lives worth of ideas. That was so beautiful. It is important to keep creating, being curious and exploring. Here we have two artists, one in her 70s and the other in her 90s and they are still creating and exhibiting. That is incredibly inspiring.”
At Sunny Bank Mills Gallery until October 13. sunnybankmills.co.uk