Blackburn art work about the town goes on show
6:02pm Sunday 16th September 2012 in News
BLACKBURN sculptor Halima Cassell is bringing her art, which has been exhibited in top galleries worldwide, to the town this week.
The mother-of-one will be merging her Asian heritage, fascination with Africa and the landscape of her home in a specially commissioned work for a major show.
She is one of six lecturers and former students of Blackburn College to take part in the “Streets, Places, Journeys” exhibition at the borough’s Museum and Art Gallery.
It focuses and on their view of the town and should provoke much thought among residents who see how they perceive its buildings and life.
Halima was born in 1975 in Pakistan. She was brought up in Manchester but now lives in Blackburn where she studied.
She has exhibited her work at a number of prestigious art galleries at home and overseas including the Victoria and Albert (V&A) in London. Her work has also been shown in Sweden, Tuscany and Mumbai, India She also has new shows next year in Brussels and at Canary Wharf in London.
Halima, who said she had combined her Asian roots with her interest for African pattern work, has made a sculpture called Urban Facades specifically for the Blackburn exhibition.
Halima said “The piece I have done depicts both buildings from Blackburn and Darwen, from historical and modern buildings, as well as ones that are going to be taken down.”
The exhibition, which runs until February 1, features work by artists who where asked to paint their views of Blackburn. All artists are successful ex-students and lecturers from the art department at Blackburn College Another artist who will be featured is Richard Cross, who teaches at the college, and this year had two pieces chosen to be shown at the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition. He has included paintings with the views from his studio and from the railway station, Other students and lecturers that will be featured are David Coggins, Ian Norris, Steve Pickles and Mark Edmundson.
Museum curator Vinai Solanki said: “There will be plenty for Blackburn people to recognise and think about in the exhibition. It is about how the artists see the town.”
