A SADDLEWORTH artist will show off her skill after landing the chance to exhibit her work in a prestigious Manchester gallery.
Jill Woods has just showed off her talents at the OXO Gallery and Bargehouse on London’s South Bank.
Now the Dobcross-based will have her work on display in an exhibition at Comme Ca Art Gallery in Ancoats – noy bad for someone who only decided to pursue her dreams when she was in her mid-50s.
She said: “I could not believe I was there and here we are again, but this time in Manchester!
“I’m still pinching myself! I entered the Comme Ca Art X AWOL Studios Open Call Exhibition 2023 and I was on my way to London to de-instal my work from the OXO Gallery when I received the email telling me I’d been selected for this exhibition of North West artists.
“The calibre of artists is amazing, so it’s a real privilege to have been selected.
“What I do is unique. My installation Bathed in the Same Light is made of 11 discs of heat-sculpted Perspex which plays with light to produce ethereal shadows and reflections. The piece is interactive – you need a phone torch to join in.”
Jill admits she loved art at school but ended up doing a degree in Anatomical Science.
However, the passion never left and while still teaching dyslexic children part-time, she enrolled on the Foundation course at Oldham College in 2018 and then did a Masters degree at Huddersfield University at age 56.
“These courses completely changed my life,” added Jill, 58. “They opened my eyes and gave me the chance to explore different techniques and materials.
“My love of light as a medium developed during my time at Huddersfield and my final piece The Light Shines in the Darkness was an exploration of the use of mixed-media installation art in spiritual health and well-being.
“The end of show piece for my Foundation course, Graphene: Wonderstuff, used two kilometres of Sellotape in a scaffolding structure that you could climb through!
“I am thrilled to be exhibiting in Manchester for the first time, but in a perfect world I’d earn my living producing art and be exhibiting internationally.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to show work alongside 20 other talented artists from the north west.
“Who knows where I’ll be exhibiting next? London – Manchester – New York?!2
Jill’s work Bathed in the Same Light is part of the Comme Ca X AWOL Studios Open Call Exhibition 2023 at Comme Ca Art Gallery, 5th Floor Hope Mill, 113 Pollard St, Ancoats, M4 7JA.
Preview night is Thursday 19th May, from 6pm until 8pm. Opening hours are Saturdays 11-2pm until 24th June or Wednesday/Thursday 11-4pm by appointment.
Call Claire at the gallery on 0161 273 5495. For further details, please contact Jill by emailing sendittojill27@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.jill-woods.co.uk
Instagram: @jillwoods27
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