Alumna Kalisha Piper-Cheddie reflects on a summer artist residency with Leeds Art Gallery
BA Fine Art with Contemporary Cultural Theory alumna Kalisha Piper-Cheddie was artist in residence at Leeds Art Gallery, as part of a series of activities connected to an exhibition by Peter Mitchell.
Nothing Lasts Forever at Leeds Art Gallery is a major retrospective of British documentary photographer Peter Mitchell. Mitchell has a long-rooted connection with Leeds and the exhibition marks nearly half a century since his first exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery in 1975.
Kalisha Piper-Cheddie was invited by Leeds Art Gallery to create and run a workshop within Art Space between 30 July and 8 August, as a response to Peter Mitchell’s exhibition. This was part of a series of artist residencies for a summer programme connected to Nothing Lasts Forever.
Kalisha’s artist-led workshop ‘Make a connection with home’ aimed to guide participants to engage with Peter Mitchell’s photographs as well as with ideas around the archive, and the idea that images help us access experience and ideas from the past.
Participant collage created using a photo by Peter Mitchell at ‘Make a Connection with Home’ workshop at Leeds Art Gallery, 2024. Photo courtesy of Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
Kalisha Piper-Cheddie is a multidisciplinary artist from London. Kalisha gained her foundation diploma from UAL Camberwell College of Arts in 2019 and BA in Fine Art with Contemporary Cultural Theory from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds in 2023. She gained an MA in Archives and Records Management from UCL in 2024.
Kalisha takes the honouring and retelling of contested or forgotten histories as the main emphasis of her practice, taking family history as her starting point to explore wider histories of migration, colonialism and intangible cultural heritage.
Kalisha Piper-Cheddie with her nominated piece ‘Somewhere Between Hope and Mourning’ at the FUAM Graduate Art Prize exhibition in 2023. Image courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries.
Duality is central – the subjects which she tackles often exist within a dual or in-between space, trapped between two different veins of knowledge. Kalisha uses family archives, interviews, video, text and printmaking to explore this. Focusing on the domestic space, Kalisha uses elements of domesticity to speak to wider issues of migration, family, femininity, loss and the personal impacts of colonialism.
Kalisha's work has been shown in group shows including Mindjeres di Mundo, East Street Arts (2023), AoCA Diaspora and Belonging Exhibition, Mother London (2023) and she was interviewed for the a-n degree show guide 2023.
Kalisha Piper-Cheddie, Somewhere Between Hope and Mourning, 2023. Two-screen video work, colour, sound, 8.38 minutes. Tropical Languages of Longing, 2023, screen-printed wallpaper (dimensions variable, site specific) Installation view, Can You Let Us In?
Kalisha’s final piece for Can You Let Us In? – the 2023 BA Fine Art Degree Show at the University of Leeds – led to being nominated for the FUAM Graduate Art Prize 2023.
‘Somewhere Between Hope and Mourning’ was a two-screen video piece which examines Kalisha’s family history as a way to think through the experience of being a second/third generation immigrant. The piece was on display at an exhibition at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery from August to October 2023, alongside work by the other three shortlisted artists.
Visitors to the FUAM Graduate Art Prize 2023 exhibition engage with Kalisha Piper-Cheddie's nominated artwork ‘Somewhere Between Hope and Mourning'. Image courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries.
Since graduating, Kalisha has been focusing on progressing her career as an archivist and developing her practice, as well as working as a freelance artist, leading creative and educational workshops.
This summer was Kalisha’s second residency with Leeds Art Gallery – Kalisha previously worked on a project in autumn 2023 where she ran workshops in response to Sonia Boyce's Feeling Her Way exhibition. Workshop participants were invited to create work focusing on repeating patterns, colours and shapes influenced by Sonia Boyce's work using drawing and collage, to create a communal tessellating wallpaper pattern.
ArtSpace Wallpaper, 2023. Installation view, Leeds Art Gallery. Image courtesy of Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
Kalisha said:
“I first got in contact with Leeds Art Gallery after a member of staff saw my degree show piece and recommended me to the staff in the Education Office.
“My own work using wallpaper to speak to ideas around identity and my experiences as a woman of colour had many thematic links to Sonia Boyce’s work. I therefore had the incredible opportunity to have a residency at Leeds Art Gallery running drop in workshops in Art Space.
Participant collage created at ‘Make a Connection with Home’ workshop at Leeds Art Gallery, 2024. Photo courtesy of Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
“Following on from this, I have maintained a strong relationship with Leeds Art Gallery and always enjoy working with all of the staff at the gallery as it is a very welcoming environment. The opportunity to go back this summer and again run my own workshops in Art Space was a real joy, and it is always amazing to see what a big impact having a dedicated free space to create artwork has for people, especially children and families.
“Over the course of my two week residency in the summer, I ran Make a connection with home – a drop in workshop for all ages in Leeds Art Gallery's Art Space in response to Peter Mitchell's Nothing Lasts Forever.
“I selected a series of images by Peter Mitchell as the starting point for the workshop. Participants were then encouraged to create their own collages about their connections to home and to Leeds.
‘Make a Connection with Home', 2024 Installation view, Leeds Art Gallery. Photo courtesy of Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
“It was such a joy to once again work with Leeds Art Gallery and to run a workshop which had such great engagement with both the materials and the ideas.
“There was a real sense of play and experimentation throughout this workshop which was very exciting. Peter Mitchells’ photographs provided the backdrop for very insightful conversations about personal memories of Leeds and how it has changed over time. I am grateful to Leeds Art Gallery staff and volunteers for all their help, and to anyone who attended the workshops.
‘Make a Connection with Home’ 2024, Installation view, Leeds Art Gallery. Image courtesy of Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
“The workshops went well: on reflection there was an overall positive reaction and Peter Mitchell’s photographs encouraged a range of interesting and insightful conversations with participants recounting their memories of the places documented. Having a gallery wall to display the works is a great way to give people an opportunity to exhibit work within a gallery space. Art Space is a great space for all ages and abilities to be able to sit and make work so it’s always a pleasure to be able to facilitate that and to bring more attention to the space.
“Leeds Art Gallery always have different events on and they are very passionate about giving opportunities to artists such as myself who are just beginning their careers. The staff and volunteers also make it such a great space to work in.”
More information
Nothing Last Forever: Peter Mitchell at Leeds Art Gallery runs to 6 October 2024. Find out more about the exhibition.
Find out more about Kalisha Piper-Cheddie.
Watch a short video about Kalisha’s shortlisted work for the FUAM Graduate Art Prize 2023.
Find out about the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.
Feature image
Kalisha Piper-Cheddie with her nominated piece ‘Somewhere Between Hope and Mourning’ at the FUAM Graduate Art Prize exhibition in 2023. Image courtesy of Leeds University Library Galleries.
