Lakeside Arts are currently hosting the Arts Council Collections’ Touring Exhibition, Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women Since 1945 in their Djanogly Gallery.

Open to view until Sunday 9 January 2022, Breaking the Mould seeks to redefine post-war British Sculpture by representing the work by women. Spanning more than seventy years and exploring the work of fifty sculptors, the exhibition provides a redress to the many accounts of British sculpture that have marginalised or airbrushed their work out of art history altogether.

The works selected for Breaking the Mould represent artists who have challenged ingrained notions of sculpture as a ‘male occupation’ by embracing new materials, subjects and approached. The Arts Council Collection’s 75^th anniversary celebrations.

With work from fifty women sculptors spanning more than 70 years, the exhibition explores the enormous contributions made by women to the field of modern and contemporary sculpture. It sets out to challenge the many accounts of British sculpture that have often marginalised women or even airbrushed their work out of the art historical canon altogether.
The fifty pieces on show range from sculpture to installation art using a wide range of materials including human hair, ceramic, paper, flowers and nylon tights.

The show also raises questions about the barriers that have existed for women in the world of sculpture – such as prejudice in art schools, the costs of materials and studio space and the pressures of raising children.

For those who would like to further their knowledge on the subject of female sculptors and ongoing research, Lakeside and the Arts Council Collection are hosting an informal Study Day on Saturday 4 December 2021 from 10am – 4pm.

It brings together a panel of leading artists, curators and scholars, including Sokari Douglas Camp and Curator and Art Writer for The Guardian and The Times Literary Supplement Naomi Polonsky, who will share their latest research and thinking.

There will also be opportunities to reflect on individual practices, collective breakthroughs and areas ripe for further investigation.

Participants can attend either in-person or online via Lakeside’s livestreaming service. Open to public and staff and students at the University of Nottingham.

Find out more about visiting the exhibition or the Study Day.