Voices of Diversity: Kedisha Coakley (artist talk)

Kedisha Coakley is an artist whose work interrogates the power of objects and cultural symbols; and challenges curatorial conventions as they relate to race, history and culture.  She has been invited by LU Arts to create a new artwork for campus that responds to the physical and historical context of the University. She is currently researching the history of the University's stained glass, which is prominent in Hazlerigg and Rutland. Her new work will respond to the symbolism contained in this stained glass.

About the artist  

Kedisha Coakley (b.1982, London, England) is a Sheffield-based artist, of Caribbean descent. Her practice reconsiders objects and cultural symbols, and reframes history, race, culture and conventions of curatorial practice. Her practice spans sculpture, printmaking, and photography, predominantly casting in bronze, through which she interrogates Black histories and experiences. Investigating the overlooked, she remixes aesthetics, techniques, and cultural references throughout her work.  

Kedisha is one of the five artists in the Freeland Foundation Artist development programme in Sheffield; a finalist of Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2021; the recipient of the Yorkshire Graduate Award 2020; and the Omni Artist Award 2020. Recent exhibitions and commissions include, Mi waan go a country go look mango at Bloc Projects (Sheffield 2023); Dark Echoes, at Site Gallery (Sheffield 2023); ‘In the Beginning’ at Pippy Houldsworth Galley (London, 2022); ‘Carbon Creatures’ with BBC & Eden Project (Cornwall, 2022) and her solo exhibition 'Self-titled', Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Wakefield 2020). 

Accessibility 

This event will take place on the ground floor of Edward Herbert Building (EHB). There is step-free access into the building. If you have any specific access requirements or anything you would like us to be aware of when running the event, please let us know via the booking form or email LUArts@lboro.ac.uk in advance of booking and we will do our best to accommodate them. 

For more information about the venue, including photographs, view the access guide for EHB on AccessAble. 

Image credit. Alwin Greyson Photography