Leeds Artist’s Artwork introduces national TV News this week

Artist Fiona Grady, whose work is being used as part of an ITV campaign to promote local artists

During this week running up to Easter Sunday, her atmospheric and colourful artwork is introducing all the television channel’s national evening news programmes and other programmes throughout the week.

Fiona, who was brought up in Leeds and was first taught art at Leeds Lawnswood High School and Leeds College of Art, is now based in London, but regularly exhibits in Yorkshire and is a trustee of the Wakefield-based arts charity Axisweb which provides a platform to support artists and profile what they do.

The ‘ITV Creates’ 2019 project

Fiona’s work is part of the ITV Creates 2019 project in which 52 artists produce artworks drawing inspiration from the ITV logo. Every week in 2019 indents just before the start of programmes showcase a different interpretation of the ITV logo created by a wide range of British artists. The project aims to give a platform to UK talent and is giving a unique and inspiring new look to ITV each week of the year.

Fiona’s Practice and her ITV Commission

Fiona is an abstract artist who creates installations on windows and walls. Her work often involves installing geometric patterns of coloured vinyl on large expanses of windows, through which the rays of the sun cast colourful patterns of light and shade on walls, floors and furniture. The effects play with light, surface and scale, each piece changing with the light of the day and emphasising the passing of time.

For her ITV indent, Fiona incorporated the ITV logo into the design of her artwork, the logo only appearing when the glass work is lit, throwing shadow on to nearby surfaces and revealing the hidden logo. The intention was to create a sense of drama to the artwork and a nod to the techniques of television that change the way reality is perceived.

Leeds Artists Artwork introduces national TV News this week

Fiona said: "It’s wonderful to be one of the 52 artists involved in the ITV project which highlights the great selection of creative talent in the UK today. At the ITV studios I was assisted by a brilliant creative team of technicians which helped bring my work to life for the medium of television. Since my work normally relies on producing effects with natural light, it was great to find ways to illuminate it using artificial light."

Fiona Grady Background

Fiona Grady was brought up in Leeds, first studying art at Lawnswood High School and then at Leeds College of Art (now Leeds Arts University) where she undertook a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design 2003 -2004. She went on to study for a BA Fine Art at the University of Wales in Cardiff and an MA in Fine Art at Wimbledon College of Art.

She now lives and works in London, but very much keeps her Yorkshire roots having undertaken a residency at The Art House in Wakefield in 2016, and now being a trustee of the Wakefield-based arts charity Axisweb which provides a platform to support artists and profile what they do.

She has had several solo exhibitions in London, Wakefield, and other cities in the UK and has had residencies in Wakefield, London and Lisbon.

Her recent solo exhibitions include ‘Rendered Invisible’ The Art House, Wakefield (2016); ‘Natural Triangulations’ Walthamstow Wetlands Visitor Centre (2017); ‘Kaleidoscope’ Broadgate, London (2018); and currently, ‘Spectra Waves’ at the North Gallery, University of Brighton (2019).