Exhibition in Leeds city centre showcases work by fine art alumni Jun Rui Lo
A new solo show from BA Fine Art graduate Jun Rui Lo has opened in Village Gallery in Thornton’s Arcade, Leeds.
A Nostalgia Akin to Love features allegorical works that take form in drawing, carving, painting and sculpture.
The works on display tenderly present artist Jun Rui Lo’s ongoing journey of interrogating their diasporic identity and relationship with the city where they were born and raised.
Installation view of Jun Rui Lo's A Nostalgia Akin to Love © The Artist and Village Gallery & Publishing. Photo: Sam Hutchinson.
With a focus on the ruptures and discontinuities in their sense of self, Lo contemplates the concept of home through a critical lens, responding honestly to their feelings of ‘rootlessness’ in the making of these works. A Nostalgia Akin to Love is a fragment, a memento, a love letter.
The exhibition is accompanied by a short essay from Mesita Jee (BA Fine Art with History of Art, 2022).
Jun Rui Lo with their degree show installation at the University of Leeds, June 2024. Image © The Artist.
Jun Rui Lo is an artist-curator based in Leeds and Manchester. Approaching art as an emotional response, they make and curate with an interest in identity politics and the aesthetics of ambiguity.
Rooted in their gender non-conformity and diasporic experience, Lo’s practice responds to the fluidity and rootlessness that arise from their refusal to be anchored to any fixed identity. Through their expanded-drawing and sculpture, Lo creates allegories from everyday made strange—queered, in every sense of the word.
Jun Rui Lo, installation view of Untitled (Songs of Ghosts), June 2024, Sardines BA Fine Art Degree Show, University of Leeds. ©The Artist.
Jun Rui Lo received a First-Class BA in Fine Art from the University of Leeds in July 2024. Their work was showcased as part of the Sardines BA Fine Art Degree Show in June, following which Lo was nominated by the University of Leeds for the New Blood Art Emerging Art Prize 2024.
They were also nominated for the Accelerator Bursary, supported by Leeds Art Fund and Leeds Art Gallery.
Jun Rui Lo, installation view of Untitled (Songs of Ghosts), June 2024, Sardines BA Fine Art Degree Show, University of Leeds. ©The Artist.
Selected recent exhibitions include Papillon (Dalston Den, London, 2023), Sacred Play Secret Place (East Street Arts Patrick Studios, Leeds, 2024), Tracing Connections (Manchester School of Art, Manchester, 2024) and Welcome to the UK (Ugly Duck, London, 2024).
Lo is currently undertaking a graduate residency at the artist-led space Serf in Leeds, where they are developing a new body of work for a duo exhibition with another artist-in-residence, scheduled for February 2025.
Jun Rui Lo, installation view of Untitled (Songs of Ghosts), June 2024, Sardines BA Fine Art Degree Show, University of Leeds. ©The Artist.
The venue for Lo’s new solo show is Village in Thornton’s Arcade – a bookshop and gallery in Leeds offering a selection of contemporary art, design, fashion and photography publications.
A Nostalgia Akin launched with an evening private view on Friday 27 September and Lo’s work will be on display in the gallery over the coming weeks.
Jun Rui Lo said:
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to present my first solo exhibition at Village.
“As a recent graduate embarking on an artist-curator career, this experience holds deep significance for me. It has not only motivated me to keep creating new work post-graduation but also given me the chance to share it with a wider audience.
Jun Rui Lo, installation view of Untitled (Songs of Ghosts), June 2024, Sardines BA Fine Art Degree Show, University of Leeds. ©The Artist.
“I have truly enjoyed this experience, as Village gave me complete freedom in curating the exhibition and provided full support throughout the process. With the project planned well in advance, I was fortunate to have the time and space to experiment with both artistic and curatorial elements, for which I am deeply thankful.
“Spending the past three years living and studying in Leeds, I have always appreciated the warm and welcoming art scene here. Despite the challenges we have faced in recent years, particularly with the closure of beloved art spaces, I am eager to contribute more.
“I look forward to organising and participating in future exhibitions and events—whether as an artist or curator—to support and grow with this community.”
More information
A Nostalgia Akin to Love runs from 27 September to mid-October at Village, 10-12 Thornton’s Arcade, LS1 6LQ. Find out more about the venue including opening times.
A new artist’s edition print was launched by Village to coincide with this exhibition: black risograph, 297 x 420mm, edition of 30 signed and numbered. Available in-store or online for worldwide delivery.
Feature image
Installation view of Jun Rui Lo’s exhibition, A Nostalgia Akin to Love, 2024. © The Artist and Village Gallery & Publishing. Photo: Sam Hutchinson.
