By Grace Cooper
A new exhibition ‘A City Without Seams’ will be taking place at the Leeds Corn Exchange from Thursday, 21 September until Sunday, 24 September.
The exhibition will celebrate Leeds and the work of artist Keith Khan, who has created a series of motifs which showcase the community and culture of all of the 33 wards in Leeds.
The motifs have been designed to reflect the identity of these wards, illustrating local history, landmarks and stories that make the area its own.
These designs have been made into textile artworks to be individually gifted to each ward as well as joined together in a tapestry fabric connecting each Leeds community into one.
Keith Khan said: “I am excited to see how everything comes together in ‘A City Without Seams’.
“We are bringing together all elements of this layered project: the original designs and animated motifs, the fabric woven from these, the gorgeous garments, a vibrant animation – together they show the incredible beauty and diversity of this city and its people”.
Six of the 33 wards are in West Leeds, each gifted with their own individual design, celebrating their distinctive culture and community.
- Armley’s individual motif centres around the local landmark Mike’s Carpets, which is set in a former Methodist church.
- Calverley and Farsley is celebrated with a textile type logo intended to illustrate the area’s history in textiles.
- Kirkstall’s design features gothic cogs in connection to the area’s history in ironwork.
- Pudsey’s motif showcases the well known bandstand located in Pudsey Park.
- Farnley & Wortley and Bramley & Stanningley are also represented in their own individual logos for the wards.
The fabrics created as a part of Khan’s work have also been made into wearable designs with the help of local designers, makers and fashion students in and around Leeds.
The individual textile logos, the joined design tapestry and the garments will be showcased at the ‘A City Without Seams’ exhibition, with the addition of a digital animation of all the artworks produced.
Creative Director and CEO of Leeds 2023, Kully Thiarai, says that the exhibition “showcases both the local uniqueness of each ward and the collective spirit of Leeds”.
After the exhibition has taken place, the individual designs will be gifted for display in each of the 33 wards in Leeds.
