Lesley Sanderson (born 1962) is a

Malaysian British Malaysians in the United Kingdom are British citizens who have full or partial Malaysian origin or descent and Malaysian citizens residing in the United Kingdom. The 2001 UK Census recorded 49,886 Malaysian-born people. The 2011 census recorded ...

artist. Her work typically focuses on explorations of her duel-heritage identity and its relationship with art. Sanderson's work has been displayed in exhibitions internationally.

Life and career

Lesley Sanderson was born in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

in 1962, to a Malaysian mother and British father. She graduated from

Sheffield Polytechnic Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Cr ...

with a BA in Fine Art in 1984. She tow teaches at the University. Sanderson's early works explored her own identity and mixed heritage using self portraits. They often offered a commentary on the depiction and fetishization of 'exotic' women in art. 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.”' In her work she attempts to break away from such traditions and re-establish her identity on her own terms. For her portraits Sanderson typically used oil pastel on paper or acrylic and oil on canvas. In 1988, she participated in an exhibition titled ''Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art'', at the Cooper Gallery,

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...

. In this exhibition Sanderson states that she uses the self-portrait to address racist and gender stereotypes. Her work also appeared in the 1988 exhibition ''Black Art: Plotting the Course''. Sanderson's work for the exhibition ''Four x 4'' reframed George Fredrick Watts' bust ''Clytie'' displayed at the

Harris Museum The Harris Museum is a Grade I-listed building in Preston, Lancashire, England. Founded by Edmund Harris in 1877, it is a local history and fine art museum. History In the 19th century, it became legal to raise money for libraries by local ...

in Preston. Sanderson's interpreted ''Clytie'' as an 'emphatic symbol' in her objectification. In response she created a series of self-portraits to be displayed alongside the bust. Sanderson's work was exhibited at ''The British Art Show 1990'' as well as ''New North'' at Tate Liverpool. 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. Since 1998, she has been collaborating with Neil Conroy as Conroy Sanderson. Their work aims to re-interpret understandings of cultural identity. Sanderson's work was featured in the book ''Shades of Black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain''.

Exhibitions

Selected group exhibitions

* ''Black Art: Plotting the Course'', The Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Oldham Art Gallery (1988) * ''Along the Lines of Resistance: an exhibition of contemporary feminist art'', Cooper Gallery, Barnsley (1988) * ''The British Art Show 1990'',

Leeds Art Gallery Leeds Art Gallery in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is a gallery, part of the Leeds Museums & Galleries group, whose collection of 20th-century British Art was designated by the British government in 1997 as a collection "of national importance" ...

, McLellen Galleries, Glasgow,

Hayward Gallery The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the Southbank Centre in central London, England and part of an area of major arts venues on the South Bank of the River Thames. It is sited adjacent to the other Southbank Centre buildings (the Roy ...

, London (1990) * ''New North'', Tate Liverpool (1990) * ''Four X 4'', Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Arnolfini City Gallery Leicester,

Harris Museum and Art Gallery The Harris Museum is a Grade I-listed building in Preston, Lancashire, England. Founded by Edmund Harris in 1877, it is a local history and fine art museum. History In the 19th century, it became legal to raise money for libraries by local ...

, Castle Museum, Nottingham (1991) * ''History and Identity'', Norwich Gallery, Lincolnshire College of Art and Design (1991) * ''Transforming the Crown'',

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...

The Bronx Museum of The Arts The Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), also called the Bronx Museum of Art or simply the Bronx Museum, is an American cultural institution located in Concourse, Bronx, New York. The museum focuses on contemporary and 20th-century works created by A ...

, Caribbean Cultural Centre (1997–98)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderson, Lesley Living people 1962 births Artists from Sheffield British contemporary artists Alumni of Sheffield Hallam University British people of Malaysian descent