City centre photography exhibition to put post-lockdown life in Leeds in focus

Kinrise, owners and developers of the 34 Boar Lane in central Leeds, are staging a one-night only exhibition of post lockdown-themed photography on Thursday, September 2.

The developers have worked in conjunction with local photographer Thomas Wood to stage this special exhibition, which will be held at the Bishopgate Street entrance to

34 Boar Lane between 5pm and 8pm. Everyone is welcome.

Grace Ellerby, community manager for Kinrise at 34 Boar Lane, said: “There will be four local photographers displaying their excellent work. Their theme is re-emergence, which

coincides with the city of Leeds returning to normal life after lockdown. This exhibition captures the optimism, togetherness and resilience shown by creatives throughout the

pandemic

“With lockdown being particularly tough for those in the creative industries, our hope is that this event will champion the work of some local artists for our Leeds network to enjoy,” she

added.

The four artists are Thomas Wood, Seb Smith, Thomas Duffield and Emily Ryalls.

Thomas Wood’s Love Always Wins series serves as a reminder of the power and beauty of love. Given that lockdown put the brakes on intimacy and turned relationships with Amazon

drivers and postmen into our most intimate, Thomas’ portraits of real couples post-lockdown celebrates the little moments of love that have been vacant for so long.

Seb Smith’s In Search of Heron tracks the experience of a forest, pushing against the tension it creates between itself and its visitors. Seb interrogates this tension through image making,

interventions within the landscape and sculptural interpretations.

As work life begins to resemble its old self, and the city streets bear witness to their usual hustle and bustle, Thomas Duffield’s photographs hold on to the moments of stillness that

have punctuated his experience of the past year. Enjoying the quiet simplicity of these everyday moments and making time to play and experiment; the photographs pay tribute to

the childish wonder that can be found through exploring and interacting with our immediate surroundings.

Emily Ryalls’ body of work spotlights the grassroots community events that we went without for 18 months. Focusing on northern traditions and heritage, Emily has revisited a small selection of photographs picturing the Haxey Hood in North Lincolnshire of January last year on dry plates – visually bringing together the physical intimacy of such events with the

fragility of the analogue medium, drawing parallels to the precarious and optimistic nature of our current realities as we re-emerge.

George Aberdeen, co-founder and director of Kinrise added: “We are looking forward to an inspiring evening. It is one of our aim aims to foster and promote the arts at 34 Boar Lane and

this thought-provoking exhibition of photography does just that.

“It is so important that the city’s heritage and soul lives on for the future and real cultural capital remains in the centre rather than being pushed further out of cities.”

Entrance to the exhibition is free, but it necessary to book via: www.34boarlane.co.uk/book-space/p/re-emmergence .

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