Fine Art alumna Georgia D’Silva exhibits work following artist residency in Hebden Bridge
A new installation by BA Fine Art Graduate and former FUAM Graduate Art Prize nominee, Georgia D’Silva, is on display in IOU’s Hebden Bridge Hostel until the end of November.
Georgia D’Silva is a sculpturist and wordbuilder from Doncaster. Her practice is centred around a fascination in place and uses found, repurposed and low budget materials, alongside sound recordings to document everyday realities.
Georgia graduated with a BA Fine Art degree from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies in 2023. She has a range of experience of exhibiting work and hosting workshops including at Left Bank Leeds, Hyde Park Project and Headingley HEART, in addition to organising art sessions as a volunteer for Leeds Hospitals.
IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel, set in woodland and gardens just above the vibrant town of Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley. Photo by Alexander Dobrev.
Georgia was selected as this year’s IOU Artist in Residence as part of a rolling six-month residency programme offered by IOU Creation Centre – an organisation based at Dean Clough in Halifax which supports artists to develop, produce, exhibit and tour innovative new work.
IOU residencies provide an opportunity for artists to live, work and develop their creative practice at the IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel in the Calder Valley. Georgia took up the residency in February and her work is now on display in an exhibition featuring a collection of miniature dioramas of houses and homes in Hebden Bridge.
Created from reclaimed cardboard, clays and acrylics, each diorama is a replica of a home in Hebden Bridge and are all showcased in the Hostel’s Snug, against the stunning backdrop of Nutclough Woods.
Looking inside No. 182, a miniature replica of a home in Hebden Bridge created by artist Georgia D'Silva whilst on residency in 2024. Photo by Alexander Dobrev.
Georgia said about her residency and installation, No. 182:
“Titled by the number of days I have spent in Hebden Bridge, No. 182 is an interdisciplinary installation exploring themes of belonging, community and place, created as part of an artist residency at Hebden Bridge Hostel.
“A series of dioramas – depicting the domestic spaces of Hebden Bridge residents and intentionally devoid of figures – invite viewers to engage curiously and playfully with the embedded narratives.
Interior view of No. 182, a miniature replica of a home in Hebden Bridge created by artist Georgia D'Silva whilst on residency in 2024. Photo by Alexander Dobrev.
“The residency was an opportunity to live at IOU Creation Centre’s IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel for six months. I had a materials budget, and anytime access to the IOU Creation Centre Studio at Dean Clough Mills Halifax, where there was lots of space to make and abundant guidance too.
“IOU specialise in work that combines contemporary art, engineering and technology, with a focus on curiosity. I had the chance to be part of the team and experience first-hand what it is like to work in an arts organisation, attending weekly team meetings.
“During my six months with IOU, I led two workshops and two artist talks, assisted in touring one of IOU’s productions, and showed work alongside a group of other artists in their Artist Showcase (part of Culturedale, Calderdale’s year of culture). I am also exhibiting No.182 in an end of residency solo show which runs to 27 November.
Georgia D'Silva working on a production of IOU’s 'The Wheel' at Culturedale in Halifax 2024. Photo courtesy of Georgia D'Silva.
“The opportunity to take up this residency had special significance for me, tracing back to my first visit to Hebden Bridge in early 2022. During a coach trip with the University of Leeds, the organiser said she felt passionate about bringing passengers to Hebden Bridge as, for her, it was a place of reflection and peace. As I strolled by the canal, I felt it too, igniting daydreams of calling it home.
“The allure of Calderdale's vibrant community and the collaborative ethos of IOU captivated me. Itching to expand the parameters of my practice, from the start of my residency I placed emphasis on maintaining sustained dialogue with staff, fellow artists, locals and hostel guests.
“Upon arriving in Hebden Bridge to begin my residency in February, I soon realised that this was a truly unique community, with a fascinating history. The picturesque, friendly town is home to many artists and people living unconventionally. The locals were eager to share their stories and experiences of living in Hebden – both the joys and the darker sides.
Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire. Photo by Tim Green. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
“First through ribbon-tied posted letters, then through relationships I formed, I connected with local people, inviting them to share their stories and homes. After documenting these intimate narratives through interviews and photographs, I transformed them into miniature rooms housed in cardboard – a material that mirrors transience and the fragility and impermanence of the present, key themes in my work.
“Working in a ten-minute loop, enhanced by lighting and sound developed in the IOU Studio, my new piece intertwines these personal histories and crafted environments, offering an immersive journey into the heart of home and community in Hebden Bridge.”
Miniature dining table and chairs created by Georgia D'Silva as part of an IOU Artist Residency. Photo courtesy of Georgia D'Silva.
No.182 has resonances with the work Georgia created for her final year BA Fine Art Degree Show – Can you let us in? – which led to her being one of four artists shortlisted for the FUAM Graduate Art Prize in 2023.
Praised by the former Lord Mayor of Leeds Al Garthwaite at the fine art degree show launch event in June 2023, Georgia’s degree show piece – No. 1013 – explored the ephemerality and, sometimes, meaninglessness of student life.
Georgia’s diorama of student life 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.
Georgia D'Silva with No 1013 at the 2023 FUAM Graduate Art Prize exhibition, The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, University of Leeds. Photo © University of Leeds.
Finding new opportunities to develop art practice after graduation is of crucial importance for emerging artists. Georgia said:
“Navigating a pivotal juncture in my career post-graduation, I found myself at a crossroads, seeking new directions unconfined by academic structures.
“This residency offered an ideal setting for this transformative phase, aligning with my evolving perspectives on memory, place and experience – marking the commencement of a new chapter in my creative journey. I am fascinated by place and perspectives of place; I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to navigate and dissect a new location through making – especially one with as rich a history as Hebden Bridge.
Georgia D'Silva creating No. 182 whilst on residency at IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel in 2024. Photo courtesy of Georgia D'Silva.
“IOU's interdisciplinary approach and innovative use of technology aligned seamlessly with my installation concept. I worked closely and collaboratively with the team, and specifically the technician, to make a work which transcended my previous imaginations, shaped by the unique setting and the vibrant community at its heart.
“It was incredibly special to share the piece with both the residents of the homes and locals, and then share a perspective of Hebden Bridge to those from elsewhere. The support has been invaluable and I can’t thank the team enough.
“I will cherish my chapter spent as IOU Artist in Residence, and my piece feels like a tangible capture of my time spent exploring Hebden. I am so grateful to have left the six months with confidence, ambition and enthusiasm for my developing practice.”
Visitors to the IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel explore Georgia D'Silva's installation of dioramas, No. 182. Photo by Alexander Dobrev.
More information
No.182 by Georgia D’Silva is on display at IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel, Highfield (off Birchcliffe Road), Hebden Bridge, HX7 8DG until 27 November. Find out about the exhibition.
Follow Georgia D’Silva on Instagram @gee.dsilva.art
Watch a short video about Georgia’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
Georgia D’Silva's Hebden Bridge diamora No.182 on display at IOU Hebden Bridge Hostel, 2024. Photo courtesy of Georgia D'Silva.
