The Way In Is Not The Whole Way Through at texture

Follow the blue flags and you will be rewarded – texture presents The Way In Is Not The Whole Way Through, its third exhibition featuring the work of four artists: Haydn Albrow, Katrina Cowling, Conor Rogers and Fleur Yearsley.

The works on display are brought together by their ‘novelty’ – an unusual, enticing characteristic present in the techniques used or the concepts explored. A hook to draw the viewer in. The show questions the idea of novelty within contemporary art – does it affect how artwork is perceived and valued? Does it make it more approachable or easier to dismiss?

Whatever your view, the display gathers together a captivating collection of works, each with a different aura yet united in the freshness of the artists’ approach. Every work is paired with a detailed text that explores different ways to see the works – “The Way Through”, their potential symbolism and readings. For anyone sceptical about gallery texts – fear not. These in-depth explorations genuinely enhance the experience of seeing the works and offer so many possible interpretations that you’re bound to find something you haven’t thought of before.

Haydn Albrow uses the technique of tufting to explore the conscious/ unconscious mind, and the world of dreams. Both of her works on display, Moving to Leytonstone II (2025) and Take A Seat (2025) take the form of windows, with birds, bodies and chairs bursting in and out. These dreamlike, or perhaps, nightmarish compositions are all symbolism, ambiguity and flowing curtains, realised in wool and wood.

Katrina Cowling presents Morning boys, how’s the water? (2025) a kinetic sculpture that consists of a cocktail umbrella, a small plastic fish and a pipe cleaner with a bell, all dancing on a battery-powered wire structure. Cowling is a trained neon-bender, but more recently, her work has shifted towards more intimate constructions that explore fragility, silliness and movement. Her tiny kinetic sculpture in the show sits somewhere between humour and tragedy.

Conor Rogers is a figurative painter who uses unconventional surfaces to paint on, from discarded Greggs cups to bus tickets. Here, you’ll find Twinkle Toes (2024) painted on the cover of an A-Z of Sheffield street atlas, and Spewdents (2023) on a Royal Mail delivery slip. These are not merely surfaces though – the colours and imagery of the background become an active part of the paintings. Through everyday snapshots of people, places and moments, Rogers weaves narratives that act as social commentary. 

Fleur Yearsley paints nostalgia, universally understood and felt through her depictions of interiors, objects and familiar scenes with an amazing eye for colour and pattern. The piece I’ve Been Waiting for You All My Life (2024) depicts a surreal scene in what could be a comment about modern dating, shyness, or perhaps the most relatable option – the feeling of rejection.

texture presents yet another excellent show of varied and carefully considered work – it’s a gem that should not be missed.