Local art student Jack Rydings will be holding an exhibition of his latest work in the centre from 12th - 14th May.
As Jack explains, " People say that I’m a “lovable oddball”, mainly due to my eclectic style and tastes. However when it comes to my artwork and the art world, I’m passionate about classic styles and techniques. I would love to see a revival of traditional disciplines within art such as painting and drawing.
I applied to the University of Leeds to study Fine Art and History of Art and, coming from a small town and working class background, I knew I’d set a high goal to achieve.
Now in my second year of studies, I’ve have been working on my ideas of classic style and looking at English painters from the Victorian age.
This lead to the development of my ‘Stag’ project, which not only deals with how art can be both traditional and contemporary, but it also held a personal significance. The inspiration for the project came from the Stag that is part of Mansfield’s crest - my home town. Images of Stags can be seen throughout the town and I wanted to express my feeling and experience of the town through my work.
I’m proud of my work and want to display it in an area where it can be seen by the public. Again setting my standards high, I applied to the Victoria Quarter. This is an area of Leeds I find amazing and inspiring, and am both excited and nervous about my work being exhibited in such a prominent area.
I hope that my enthusiasm and passion fro art will inspire others, and I know that displaying my artwork in the Victoria Quarter will become a memorable part of my university life. I'd also like to thank Nicola Hanson and John Bade from the VQ Centre Management for giving me this opportunity.