I am thrilled to say I am one of the artists on the Sunderland Arts & Culture Trail 2024. I have been partnered with Café Floriana and I can wholeheartedly recommend the hot halloumi sandwich and pistachio latte from their menu.
I created new work celebrating recognisable Sunderland scenes such as the Wearmouth Bridge, the last bridge in Sunderland before the North Sea and whose origins date back to 1796, and the newest bridge, the Northern Spire bridge (opened in 2018) which is more modern and sleeker in comparison. I also focused on the National Glass Centre situated on the River Wear. Despite its cultural significance, it is planned to close in 2026 unless funding can be found/raised to cover the vast repairs and extensive updates needed to the building. There is currently a petition and campaign to try and save it from closure.
These are acrylic paintings on layers of copper leaf on black canvases. I began exploring the effects of using copper leaf in my work in my solo show, Reminiscence at Moving Gallery in Sunderland, November 2023. My show had discussed feelings of nostalgia and memories of days gone by. I found the hue of the copper implied this rose-tinted glance back in time. By incorporating the copper leaf in this series, I hope to inspire feelings of heritage and wonder at City of Sunderland’s scenery.
There are over 60 artists involved and over 40 venues to visit. It is on from the 6th to 21st July 2024.