Two new student-led exhibitions open to the public in Leeds

Two new exhibitions devised by MA students from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies will be open to the public this August.

Curated by Hannah Holden and Yuanzi Chai, the exhibitions form part of their practice-led dissertation projects undertaken for the MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies course at the University of Leeds.

More than a Feeling is an interactive exhibition that invites visitors to hold, wear and play with objects that have been loaned by members of the trans community in Leeds. Curated by MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies student Hannah Holden, the exhibition will run from 10 to 12 August at Archive on Kirkstall Road in Leeds.

Hannah said of the exhibition:

“All too often, what we can learn in the museum is limited to just one of our five senses. Since gender is felt and expressed in so many physical ways – through voice, scent, clothing and more – 'More than a Feeling' offers a multi-sensory approach to correcting the lack of trans representation in museums.”

Poster with a stylophone as the central image

Embroidered poster for More than a Feeling exhibition, created by Hannah Holden.

MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies student Yuanzi Chai’s exhibition – A Character Reveals the Spirit – opens at Red Studio in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies on 13 August.

Yuanzi's own art practice as a calligrapher features in this exhibition about meaning of text, interpretation and translation. Yyanzi said:

“The exhibition is designed to deepen people's understanding of artworks and evoke a greater appreciation for their subtle, hidden details.”

Calligraphy

Artwork created by calligrapher Yuanzi Chai for the A Character Reveals the Spirit exhibition at the University of Leeds.

Dr Robert Knifton, Taught Postgraduate Lead for the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies said:

“The practice-led MA dissertation is a great demonstration of how we value learning through doing and making, as well as thinking, here in school.

“Our students never fail to surprise us with their fantastic artistic, curatorial and project-based skills, and I'm sure Hannah and Yuanzi's exhibitions will exemplify this. I can't wait to see them both.”

More information

More than a Feeling runs from 10 to 12 August at Archive Leeds, 94 Kirkstall Road, Leeds LS3 1HD. See here for full details including opening times.

A Character Reveals the Spirit runs from 13 to 15 August at Red Studio, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University Road, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT. See here for full details and opening times.

Find out about MA study in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies.

Feature image

Courtesy of Hannah Holden.