BA (Hons) Fine Art graduate Connor Shields is the first recipient of the Yorkshire Graduate Award, the latest residency scheme at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for emerging artists.
Awarded by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), the Yorkshire Graduate Award offers recent graduates within Yorkshire the opportunity to reflect on their practice and begin to move forward as an artist. Residents benefit from accommodation at YSP; access to facilities including metal and wood workshops, and studio space; a budget for materials for the development of new ideas; time with YSP’s skilled technical team; and critiques and guidance from the curatorial team.
Shields work explores perceptions of ‘maleness’ through sculpture and performance, and during his time at YSP he wants to continue to explore and challenge ideas of working class masculinity through his use of materials and processes.
Image: Connor Shields, Thirteen thousand four hundred and forty, 2018. Courtesy the artist/YSP
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) also awards residencies to recent graduates through partnerships with the University of the Arts, London and the Royal College of Art (RCA). Tianyou Huang, winner of the 2018 RCA Graduate Award, will also be in residence at the park throughout August.
Helen Pheby, Senior Curator at YSP, said:
“Over the decades we have supported many artists at all stages of their careers. Early and sustained support for artists has always been vital to our work and is at the heart of what we do. We see a great wealth of talent from graduates and both Shields and Huang are no exception.
Shields is exploring some particularly interesting themes in sculpture and from his recent degree show we saw the potential for development of his practice through spending time at YSP”
Connor Shields will be in residence at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park from 22 August - 7 September 2018. Find out more.
Image: Connor Shields, Built like a brick shithouse. Courtesy the artist/YSP
