Lesley Sanderson
Lesley Sanderson (born 1962) is a Malaysian British artist.[1] Her work typically focuses on explorations of her duel-heritage identity and its relationship with art.[2] Sanderson's work has been displayed in exhibitions internationally.[2]
Life and career
Lesley Sanderson was born in Malaysia in 1962, to a Malaysian mother and British father. She graduated from Sheffield Polytechnic with a BA in Fine Art in 1984.[2] She tow teaches at the University.[2]
Sanderson's early works explored her own identity and mixed heritage using self portraits.[3] They often offered a commentary on the depiction and fetishization of 'exotic' women in art.[2] On this topic, Sanderson said: '“I think it’s particularly important that non-white women are represented in a way that provides an alternative to National Geographic-type media representations of ‘ethnic’ women being exotic, submissive and readily available for the gaze.”'[2] In her work she attempts to break away from such traditions and re-establish her identity on her own terms.[2] For her portraits Sanderson typically used oil pastel on paper or acrylic and oil on canvas.[2]
In 1988, she participated in an exhibition titled Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art, at the Cooper Gallery, Barnsley. In this exhibition Sanderson states that she uses the self-portrait to address racist and gender stereotypes.[4] Her work also appeared in the 1988 exhibition Black Art: Plotting the Course.[1]
Sanderson's work for the exhibition Four x 4 reframed George Fredrick Watts' bust Clytie displayed at the Harris Museum in Preston.[2] Sanderson's interpreted Clytie as an 'emphatic symbol' in her objectification.[2] In response she created a series of self-portraits to be displayed alongside the bust.[2]
Sanderson's work was exhibited at The British Art Show 1990 as well as New North at Tate Liverpool.[2]
In the 1990s, Sanderson's focus shifted from works on canvas to mixed media forms while maintaining her signature themes of identity and her duel heritage.[2] Since 1998, she has been collaborating with Neil Conroy as Conroy Sanderson.[5] Their work aims to re-interpret understandings of cultural identity.[6]
Sanderson's work was featured in the book Shades of Black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain.[2]
Exhibitions
Selected group exhibitions
- Black Art: Plotting the Course, The Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Oldham Art Gallery (1988)[7]
- Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art, Cooper Gallery, Barnsley (1988)[4]
- The British Art Show 1990, Leeds Art Gallery, McLellen Galleries, Glasgow, Hayward Gallery, London (1990)[8]
- New North, Tate Liverpool (1990)[2]
- Four X 4, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Arnolfini City Gallery Leicester, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Castle Museum, Nottingham (1991)[2]
- History and Identity, Norwich Gallery, Lincolnshire College of Art and Design (1991)[9]
- Transforming the Crown, Studio Museum in Harlem, The Bronx Museum of The Arts, Caribbean Cultural Centre (1997–98)[2]
References
- ^ a b Ratnam, Niru (2002). "Sanderson, Lesley". In Alison Donnell (ed.). Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture. Routledge. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-134-70025-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Lesley Sanderson". Diaspora Artists. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ CFCCA Library and Archive. "Sanderson, Lesley, artist". Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ a b Biswas, Sutapa; Edge, Sarah; Slattery, Claire (1988), Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art, Barnsley: Cooper Gallery
- ^ Out of Nowhere, Asia Art Archive, archived from the original on 2 February 2014, retrieved 1 February 2014
- ^ "Artists explore the here and there of identity". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Diaspora-artists: View details". new.diaspora-artists.net. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Baltic Plus | British Art Show 3: 1990". balticplus.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Diaspora-artists: View details". new.diaspora-artists.net. Retrieved 10 April 2021.