Summer Exhibition Of The North Announces Bursary Winners

Artists from across the North are seeing their work included in a major exhibition in Leeds this summer – and nine have been chosen by the judges to win a bursary of £500.

The New Light Summer Exhibition of the North, which was open to all artists with a Northern connection, runs at Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds’s biggest arts and cultural hub, until 10 August.

Judy Clarkson

Judy Clarkson - Inside Out (selected by Beth Hughes)

The bursary winners are Susan Liggett from Chester, Ian Brooks from Howarth, Judy Clarkson from Harrogate, North Easterner Helen Pailing, Scott Davison from Sheffield, Lucy Waters from Newcastle, Sarah Louise Hawkins from Manchester, Claire Ong from Newcastle and Helaina Sharpley from Mirfield.

Susan Liggett’s egg tempera on gesso board painting Twilight was selected by art critic and commentator Laura Gascoigne, who says: “Modest in scale and ambition, Twilight isn’t concerned with making an artistic statement but with observing an effect of light. Dusk has fascinated British artists from Atkinson Grimshaw to George Clausen, and with its sensitive balance of tone and colour this poetic little painting perfectly captures the dreamlike quality of twilight.”

Susan Liggett

Susan Liggett - Twilight (selected by Laura Gascoigne)

Susan says: "Winning this has given me renewed confidence in my recent decision to leave my day job and commit fully to my art practice. Being selected as a prizewinner by Laura Gascoigne, a writer and critic I greatly admire, is a real honour. I’m proud of this recognition and to be represented as a Northern artist. The bursary will enable me to invest in some new specialised cadmium and cobalt pigments, helping me develop a new body of work over the coming year."

Anne Desmet RA RE SWA chose Port Lockroy by Ian Brooks, an aquatint etching on paper, saying: “This outstanding etching recalls the work of the late, great Norman Ackroyd RA, yet maintains its own strong individual character.”

Ian says: “It's an honour to be awarded this bursary, and in particular to be selected by Anne Desmet. To have the work singled out by such a significant, and inspirational, figure in contemporary printmaking is really special. I’ll look forward to putting the prize to good use in making a new body work over the coming year.”

Ian Brooks

Ian Brooks - Port Lockroy (selected by Anne Desmet)

Curator and creative producer Beth Hughes selected Judy Clarkson’s oil on canvas Inside Out and says: “This is a really arresting painting. It has an uncomfortable physicality; the subject’s dynamic pose is both vulnerable in its instability and assertive through the strong limbs and fixed gaze. The artist has a real command of light and shadow on the skin which contrasts with the saturated flat colour of the background, giving the painting great variety of texture.”

Judy says: “New Light is a very special organisation and close to my heart. Although I now live in London, I was born in Harrogate, and studied my Art Foundation there, a formative and inspiring part of my art journey. I’ll always be a Yorkshire girl, so this celebration of Northern artists is for me, personally, very significant. I've been lucky enough to be selected for two New Light touring shows, and am, of course, delighted to be part of the very first Summer Exhibition. As ever, the quality of the art is exceptional, so it was for me a great honour to have been chosen for a bursary by eminent curator, Beth Hughes. Awards of this kind are always about more than money (though always very welcome!). They endow validation and recognition. The art world is one where artists can often find it difficult to be seen and heard, and prizes such as these are an essential gift for us.”

Leeds-based artist Linnet Panasche Rubaya selected Good Luck Serpents, by Helen Pailing, made from salvaged borosilicate glass, merino wool, hand embroidery and padouk wood. She says: “I was so pleased with the quality of the artwork submitted but the glass stood out! I was drawn to the use of materials and the consideration and attention to detail really made an impression.”

Helen says: “"I was thrilled to be selected by Linnet Rubaya and to meet her on the opening night, along with many other artists from the North whom I’ve long admired. Sunny Bank Mills holds a special place in my heart, as I grew up nearby. It was a real joy to finally exhibit a piece of my own in a venue that has meant so much to me.”

Scott Davison’s mixed media on board Revolvo was chosen by artist Christopher Cook, who says: “I enjoyed the playful clash of painterly and reprographic languages, a clash which reinforces the emotional disturbance of the scene, even as it tempers the unfolding terror, thereby giving the image a mythical quality.”

Dr Scott Davison

Scott Davison - Revolvo (selected by Christopher Cook)

Scott says: "New Light has taken a bold step in their inaugural Summer Exhibition of the North; one hopes this will become established like the RA Summer Exhibition and RSA Annual Exhibition, albeit more democratic! Coming back to art after decades away, I was delighted to be selected for a bursary, especially by such an esteemed artist as Christopher Cook. It's a truism to say that creating art tends to be largely solitary, is often therapeutic and can give us a buzz – well, I am now buzzing! This has given impetus to strive to improve my practice."

George Harris is Exhibition Manager at The Bowes Museum. He chose Polarity, porcelain paint on upcycled ceramic, by Lucy Waters, saying: “At first glance the piece looks like a traditional and beautiful piece of blue and white porcelain. On looking closer you become aware of a deeper meaning. The imaginative upcycling and repurposing of material seemed to fit the concept behind the work perfectly. The overall effect is powerful and engaging and really stood out as a great artwork and a worthy winner.”

Lucy Waters

Lucy Waters - Polarity (selected by George Harris)

Lucy says: "I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected by George Harris. It goes without saying that it’s never something you expect and is very much appreciated! It was my first time applying to New Light, so it means a great deal to have had a work selected and to be alongside so many other fantastic pieces. The bursary will provide a valuable injection into my practice, both practically and as a much-needed boost in energy, which can be vital for an artist to keep going!"

Writer, curator and lecturer George Vasey chose Sarah Louise Hawkins’ acrylic on plywood, Shapeshifter. He says: “It takes recognisable tropes and patterns from modernise art history and plays with them, pushing them into new territory. The work is visually impactful, repaying repeated viewing. There is also a sense of vision and skilful execution. The work feels clear in intention and not overworked.”

Sarah Louise Hawkins

Sarah Louise Hawkins - Shapeshifter (selected by George Vasey)

Sarah Louise Hawkins says: “To have been selected by George Vasey for this award has given me a wonderful boost of encouragement and confidence in the artworks I make. The bursary will go directly to supporting my art practice, enabling me to purchase materials to make bigger and more ambitious work.”

Helaina Sharpley

Helaina Sharpley - Solitary Summer (selected by Steve Williams)

Helaina Sharpley’s Solitary Summer, created from iron wire on painted wood, was chosen by gallery owner and sculptor Steve Williams who says: “As soon as I saw it I just loved it. It literally jumps off the wall at you. The use of wire creates a fabulous texture and form and aligns so wonderfully with the idea and the design. The use of depth between the tree, fence and flowers works wonderfully. Sculpture is so often about shadow, and this piece plays with that in a lovely way.”

Rebekah Tadd, CEO of New Light
As Bradford celebrates its City of Culture 2025 status and plays host to the Turner Prize, we’re aiming to extend the focus on the North’s artistic talent with this Summer Exhibition. We’re very excited to bring the artwork together within this wonderful atmospheric mill building which eagle-eyed viewers of the BBC’s The Sewing Bee may recognise!

New Light Art is a registered charity dedicated to raising the profile of contemporary art from the North of England. For more on New Light, please visit: https://newlight-art.org.uk/