Lesley Sanderson

Lesley Sanderson (born 1962) is a Malaysian British artist.[1] Her work typically focuses on explorations of her duel-heritage identity and its relationship with art.[2] Sanderson's work has been displayed in exhibitions internationally.[2]

Life and career

Lesley Sanderson was born in Malaysia in 1962, to a Malaysian mother and British father. She graduated from Sheffield Polytechnic with a BA in Fine Art in 1984.[2] She tow teaches at the University.[2]

Sanderson's early works explored her own identity and mixed heritage using self portraits.[3] They often offered a commentary on the depiction and fetishization of 'exotic' women in art.[2] On this topic, Sanderson said: '“I think it’s particularly important that non-white women are represented in a way that provides an alternative to National Geographic-type media representations of ‘ethnic’ women being exotic, submissive and readily available for the gaze.”'[2] In her work she attempts to break away from such traditions and re-establish her identity on her own terms.[2] For her portraits Sanderson typically used oil pastel on paper or acrylic and oil on canvas.[2]

In 1988, she participated in an exhibition titled Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art, at the Cooper Gallery, Barnsley. In this exhibition Sanderson states that she uses the self-portrait to address racist and gender stereotypes.[4] Her work also appeared in the 1988 exhibition Black Art: Plotting the Course.[1]

Sanderson's work for the exhibition Four x 4 reframed George Fredrick Watts' bust Clytie displayed at the Harris Museum in Preston.[2] Sanderson's interpreted Clytie as an 'emphatic symbol' in her objectification.[2] In response she created a series of self-portraits to be displayed alongside the bust.[2]

Sanderson's work was exhibited at The British Art Show 1990 as well as New North at Tate Liverpool.[2]

In the 1990s, Sanderson's focus shifted from works on canvas to mixed media forms while maintaining her signature themes of identity and her duel heritage.[2] Since 1998, she has been collaborating with Neil Conroy as Conroy Sanderson.[5] Their work aims to re-interpret understandings of cultural identity.[6]

Sanderson's work was featured in the book Shades of Black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain.[2]

Exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

References
  1. Ratnam, Niru (2002). "Sanderson, Lesley". In Alison Donnell (ed.). Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture. Routledge. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-134-70025-7.
  2. "Lesley Sanderson". Diaspora Artists. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  3. CFCCA Library and Archive. "Sanderson, Lesley, artist". Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  4. Biswas, Sutapa; Edge, Sarah; Slattery, Claire (1988), Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art, Barnsley: Cooper Gallery
  5. Out of Nowhere, Asia Art Archive, archived from the original on 2 February 2014, retrieved 1 February 2014
  6. "Artists explore the here and there of identity". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  7. "Diaspora-artists: View details". new.diaspora-artists.net. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  8. "Baltic Plus | British Art Show 3: 1990". balticplus.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  9. "Diaspora-artists: View details". new.diaspora-artists.net. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
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