Private View – HOLD – BA Fine Art Degree Show 2026

Join us for a private view of HOLD, this year's BA Fine Art Degree Show at the University of Leeds

HOLD brings together 34 undergraduate Fine Art students graduating from the School of Fine Art, HIstory of Art and Cultural Studies this summer.

Over the past couple of years, our communal studios have held us and our work together. Side-by-side, we have developed distinct practices that explore a huge range of materials, issues, mediums, ideas and feelings.

Now the same studio spaces offer our work to welcome a wider audience as we take our turn to present the annual degree show. HOLD embraces the shared studio as a place and a way for making connections – amongst ourselves, between us and all the artists who have studied here before, and now with an audience.

Throughout our studies, we have explored and experimented. There have been successes and failures. Most importantly, there has been determination; a devotion to making and thinking, with each artist taking different directions.

HOLD demonstrates this same commitment. It presents a range of mediums from painting to installation, printmaking to video, and is accompanied by a programme of related engagement events running onsite and online.

The studios have now become galleries, and each one defends our desire for the intermingling of forms, mediums and subject matter. We have refused to create false separations and hope a spirit of staying together in our differences rings loud.

Through this, we want HOLD to open a chance for everyone to find the time and space to connect with us and our work, whether quickly or slowly, impulsively or contemplatively, alone or together.

Book your place

Please RSVP to fincomms@leeds.ac.uk if you would like to join us in celebrating the opening of HOLD.

Find out more

HOLD takes place in exhibition, studio and shared spaces over three floors in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

The show  will be open to the public daily from 12 to 21 June, 10am to 6pm.

Visit the  HOLD website or follow us on Instagram @hold.degree.show for more information about the show and the artists taking part.

Image

Design courtesy of HOLD.