By Alfie Linville-Sibley
An exhibition showcasing multiple artists’ works over the national lockdown has opened its doors to the Leicester public today.
The Creative Lockdown exhibition at The Chapel Gallery in Town Hall Square is showing curated works of local artists that were created over the national lockdowns.
Luke Sibley, maker of OFF THE PRECIPICE AND RUN AWAY, a vast sculptural project consisting of one figure per 1,000 UK deaths due to COVID-19, said: “My intention was to mark the passing of our fellow British people, with faceless figures to hit at the randomness of the disease.”
Using galvanized steel wire and upcycled bike components to create the figures, which are unknown and blank, he said the onlooker can project what they want onto them.
With each figure taking three to five hours to complete, Mr Sibley worked in the evenings, projecting his current state of mind onto each figure, as he navigated the lockdown, some depicting major personal or world events.
Consisting of a large centrepiece and many individual figures, some seem to be vignettes, people distributing the vaccine, fighting the behemoth representing the virus, a man with his dog looking on in shock.
He added: “It grew due to the number of men, organically becoming what we see today, 128 figures.”
Elaborating on this natural growth, Luke said his art was “spinning out of control as our normal life was put on hold … it incorporates my feelings and significant events along that journey.”
Held inside a 19th century Methodist church, the works of art surround the pews and are displayed disparately, with artists’ pieces displayed separately from each other, held together by their creation during the lockdowns.
Creative Lockdown, hosted at the Chapel Street Gallery, is open to the public from today until November 22, from 10am – 4pm weekdays.
