Yorkshire Artists Loretta Braganza and Sheila El-Hassani Present Unique Works at Sunny Bank Mills Exhibition

The Sunny Bank Mills Gallery, located in Farsley near Leeds, is hosting an exceptional exhibition that showcases the lifetime's work of two acclaimed Yorkshire-based artists, Loretta Braganza and Sheila El-Hassani.

Both women, celebrated for their distinctive artistic approaches, are exhibiting their work together for the first time, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience their creations in a shared space. The exhibition, titled A Lifetime of Making, promises a rich exploration of the artists’ individual yet complementary styles, running until 13th October 2024.

Loretta Braganza: From Mumbai to York, a journey in ceramics

Born in Mumbai, Loretta Braganza moved to the UK in 1965. Her artistic career has traversed several disciplines, beginning with dance, graphic arts, textile design, and sculpture before she found her calling in ceramics in 1990. Based in York, Braganza’s unique approach to ceramics is marked by sharp edges, clean lines, and intricate mark making, combining abstraction with a minimalist colour palette.

Her ceramics, often hand-built, reflect her early training in sculpture. Her work has been widely exhibited, commissioned, and awarded by organisations like the Crafts Council and Arts Council England. In this exhibition, she unveils a new series titled Fruit and Bloom, which has never been displayed before. Braganza explains that the series is inspired by the vibrant tropical fruits from her childhood, capturing their colours and forms in a blend of real and imagined interpretations.

“I am delighted to be showing my ceramics with painter Sheila El-Hassani at the beautiful Sunny Bank Mills Gallery. The exhibition has been curated with much thought and skill by its new art director, Anna Turzynski. The result is a marvellous interaction of ceramics and paintings—each in their own space but adding to the visual pleasure of the whole experience,” said Braganza.

Her new collection moves beyond mere representation, delving into surreal abstraction, transforming fruit into artistic metaphors that speak to memory, emotion, and the vividness of childhood experiences.

Sheila El-Hassani: Capturing everyday life through drawing and painting

Sheila El-Hassani, born and raised in Leeds, has had a similarly illustrious career, beginning with her studies at Leeds College of Art in the 1950s, specialising in graphic arts. After graduating from the University of Leeds in 1955, she pursued a career in education, teaching both in England and Iraq. Her time in Iraq with her husband, Mahdi El-Hassani, who worked for the United Nations, proved pivotal in the evolution of her art.

During the 1960s, El-Hassani found inspiration in the everyday life of Baghdad, sketching people in souks and mosques, capturing the social fabric of the city. Her freelance graphic design work for the Iraqi Ministry for Education and various industries further honed her artistic skills. Returning to Yorkshire in 1970, she continued her passion for drawing and painting, focusing on the vibrant life of Leeds City Market, where she immortalised its traders and customers.

Her sketches, often created on location, emphasise movement, shape, and the fluidity of bodies in space. Her artwork, frequently sequential, captures not just a static moment but the rhythm of life as it unfolds in front of her.

“It’s an exciting adventure going on the bus to town prepared to draw… the anticipation of what I might see, who might appear. I don’t know what or whom I’ll see to draw, or if I will see anyone at all whom I want to draw. Sometimes I see no-one,” El-Hassani reflects on her artistic process.

Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, both locally and nationally, including being selected for the Leeds City Art Gallery Open Exhibition for ten consecutive years (2000-2010). Her art serves as a living record of Leeds’ market life, immortalising a world that has since changed but remains alive in her paintings.

A thoughtfully curated exhibition

Anna Turzynski, the new Art Director at Sunny Bank Mills, curated the exhibition, carefully considering how the works of Braganza and El-Hassani could be displayed to complement one another. The ceramics and paintings are each given their own space, yet the interaction between the two mediums creates a harmonious visual experience.

“This exhibition takes you on a journey through the artistic development of both makers. It is fascinating to see the changes—some apparent, others more subtle—that mark this journey through many series to the present day,” Turzynski said. “You will glimpse familiar places, patterns, and textures and delight in their hidden similarities. This is a unique chance to reflect on the work of these two local female artists as they exhibit together for the first time, and an opportunity to buy some gorgeous artworks.”

Visitors to the exhibition are invited to explore the intersection of ceramics and painting, abstraction and representation, as seen through the eyes of two talented women whose work is deeply rooted in their individual experiences yet resonates universally.

Plan your visit to Sunny Bank Mills

The exhibition is open until 13th October 2024, with free entry during the following hours:

• Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm
• Sunday: 12 pm – 4 pm
• Closed on Mondays

For those interested in learning more about the exhibition or purchasing artworks, further details can be found at sunnybankmills.co.uk.

Sunny Bank Mills itself is a cultural cornerstone in West Yorkshire, offering not only an art gallery but also a textile museum, archive, and a thriving artists’ community. This former industrial site has transformed into a vibrant hub for art, culture, and independent businesses, all contributing to the life of Farsley.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience the lifetime of work by two of Yorkshire’s most respected artists.