Holding Up! at Mura Ma

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

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Holding Up

Mura Ma, Stockport
8-23 March 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Silent Consonant by Naqsh Raj, 100x100cm mixed medium
Hazel Archer/Mura Ma
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Mura Ma presents a new exhibition from artists Fiona Moate, Naqsh Raj and Vic Wright.

The title of the show refers to the phrase ‘(How are you) Holding Up?’ and stems from the book of illustrations and writing by American artist Maira Kalman, called ‘Women Holding Things’. As the exhibition opens on International Women’s Day, it emphasises the idea of women holding space for making art. There can be refuge and escape from the daily tasks and routine in creating and Holding Up! celebrates that.

The show gathers the work of artists devoted to process, place and form through drawing, painting and sculpture. The late Fiona Moate’s works focus on architecture in a natural landscape, starting with loose drawings made by a confident hand, transformed into delicate paintings. Naqsh Raj creates large-scale abstract paintings that utilise repetitive mark-making. Vic Writght is a sculptor who uses sustainable casting cement and pastel pigments to create forms that juxtapose fluid, soft lines with heavier elements while maintaining the spirit of experimentation.

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