Platform 21 at Site Gallery, Yorkshire Artspace and Bloc Projects in Sheffield

Resulting from a residency at Sheffield’s visual arts venues, Platform 21 is a culmination of a period of experimentation from five emerging artists. The work of Rachael Colley, Jan Hopkins, Seiko Kinoshita, Anisa Nuh-Ali and Lea Torp Nielsen will be exhibited across three venues: Site Gallery, Yorkshire Artspace and Bloc Projects. Each of the artists received a two-year paid residency starting in January 2021 including investment in professional development as well as opportunities to exhibit. Platform 21 is a mid-point in the residency, allowing five of the 20 chosen artists to share their progress and artistic discoveries.

To give you a taste of the kinds of work in the show, let’s take a look at two of the artists: Rachael Colley and Seiko Kinoshita.

Colley is a senior lecturer in jewellery and metalwork at Sheffield Hallam University. Her practice centres on eating – directly inspiring visuals such as the choice of colours, as well as informing the work more conceptually, the ways in which we consume food and how we use cutlery. From jewellery to ambiguous eating implements, Colley keenly experiments with materials, particularly organic waste such as citrus peel, to create objects which are detourned – from waste to decorative wearables with an expiry date. The artist has ASD and Systemic Sclerosis, a degenerative autoimmune condition causing food-related challenges which are revealed in her artistic practice. For the residency, Rachael Colley is exploring an interest in Sheffield’s metalworking heritage, particularly its role in the production of cutlery.

Also closely examining the possibilities offered by materials with a focus on textiles is Seiko Kinoshita. The Japanese artist uses traditional textile and craft techniques, often producing weavings and large-scale installations and through her practice. She is creating space for the slowly disappearing craft methods to be incorporated into the contemporary art stage. She cites ‘the everyday’ and nature as her main sources of inspiration with the aim of creating a harmonious relationship between her work and its surroundings.

Platform 21 promises to be a varied display and a wonderful opportunity for audiences to gain insight into the process of art research and production.