Teenage kicks put under the arts spotlight in exhibitions
Light House Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery have joined forces to showcase two exhibitions by celebrated contemporary photographer Michelle Sank.
Winner of the third prize in the National Portrait Gallery’s Photographic Portrait Prize in 2007, Sank is particularly noted for her sensitive depictions of young people.
The Wolverhampton exhibitions, including existing work and a brand new commission, both focus on teenage identity in the United Kingdom.
Light House Gallery will host the exhibition Young Carers/Teenagers Belfast, a special selection from two bodies of work, from Friday until May 15. Young Carers, a Ffotogallery commission from 2004, features children under the age of 18 who are often the main carers for a sick parent or sibling.
Teenagers Belfast was commissioned by Belfast Exposed Gallery in 2005. The remit was to empower the local teenagers with a sense of individuality and to locate them within environments that bear no reference to the political struggles of the province.
The exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, entitled Interface, is a new series of photographic portraits looking at Wolverhampton’s Sikh and Muslim teenagers, exploring issues of identity, gender, religion and dress.
Young Carers/Teenagers Belfast and Interface will have a joint opening on Saturday at 2pm beginning at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and then moving to Light House Gallery at 4pm, when Michelle Sank will give a talk about her work. Young Carers/Teenagers Belfast will be on show in Light House’s Main Gallery from Friday until May 15. Interface is at Wolverhampton Art Gallery until May 2.
* For more information, visit www.light-house.co.uk and www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk
