Cheeseburn welcomes visitors to their next open weekends on June 30/July 1 and July 7/8 with global artist and local designers
Cheeseburn opens its doors for the second time this year, with an extra special exhibition and sculptural installations by acclaimed Chinese artist, Qi Yafeng.
In the first ever international collaboration for Cheeseburn Sculpture, the artist has been brought to the region by curator Matthew Jarratt, who in 2016, was invited to curate Qi Yafeng’s first major exhibition in Beijing at Today Art Museum.
Now, the artist, who comes from a family of sculptors, brings his remarkable sculptures to the North East. The works sit strikingly in the ten acres of landscaped gardens that surround Cheeseburn Grange. Qi Yafeng creates huge, abstract form sculpture first by sculpting in clay, then casting in plaster and finally constructing the final piece with multiple hand-formed, stainless steel panels into architectural scale sculpture.
Meanwhile, in the Stables Gallery at Cheeseburn, Jarratt has curated an exhibition of smaller works from the artist’s studio in Guangzhou, north west of Hong Kong, together with a series of photographs and videos which document his remarkable process of sculpting in clay,
Says Matthew Jarratt, Curator at Cheeseburn:
“We are delighted to welcome visitors to our next open weekend at Cheeseburn, which will feature the spectacular works of Qi Yafeng – specially shipped over from China! This is the very first international exhibition by Qi Yafeng and we’re delighted that the artist himself will be in attendance over the weekend. We hope that visitors truly immerse themselves within the grounds of Cheeseburn; we are only open for six weekends a year, and so it really is a see-it-now-or-miss-it-forever experience!”
Cheeseburn encompasses Cheeseburn Grange Hall, a sprawling home with a rich and diverse history dating back to the 1200s; the sculpture gardens, which have been painstakingly restored by owners, Joanna and Simon Riddell; the Chapel, which dates back to 1820 and plays host to a range of artistic events, and the Stables Gallery, with its ever-changing programme of curated exhibitions.
Those who weren’t able to make it to Cheeseburn’s first open weekend in May are in luck, as Gillian Dickinson North East Young Sculptor of the Year, Peter Hanmer’s winning installation, Plato’s Lair, will be available to view in the Walled Garden Potting Shed once again.
As if the opportunity to see over 60 sculptures, sound installations and gallery exhibitions wasn’t exciting enough, visitors will also have the chance to take home items from local makers and creators from the Pop-Up Designer and Maker Space, which will feature the works of local design, Jamie Rothwell of Handmade Tyneside, and ceramicist Becky Mackenzie of the eponymous Beckie Mackenzie Ceramics.
Jamie Rothwell, Founder of Handmade Tyneside, who makes limited edition homeware and furniture from reclaimed wood sourced only in the region, says:
“This will be our second time at Cheeseburn; we were there last year and had a fantastic time. It’s such a great place to be able to show and sell our work and, this year, we will be there for two weekends! I enjoy being able to share the stories of the wood with people and to hear their memories of where the wood has come from. We always get a wonderful response; it’s like catching up with old friends!”
Cheeseburn invites the public to visit this season, take a self-guided tour of the grounds, and marvel at the new work in the gallery space, alongside some forty other sculptures situated within the ten acres of landscaped gardens.
Notes to visitors: Entry with £5 donation to the Cheeseburn charitable trust. Regrettably Cheeseburn cannot accommodate dogs due to active farmland within the grounds. Wear appropriate footwear. Parking available. Café serving homemade snacks is cash only. Cheeseburn is not fully wheelchair accessible, please contact us in advance.
Event Details
Cheeseburn is open to the public as follows:
Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July, 11am – 4pm
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July, 11am – 4pm – part of Great Northumberland 2018
Both weekends include Chinese artist, Qi Yafeng’s hand-beaten, stainless steel sculptures on display in the grounds, with photography from his Guangzhou studio in the gallery and a video performance in the Hayloft. Bennett Hogg’s sound installation will respond to the sounds of Qi Yafeng’s stainless-steel focus and the Gillian Dickinson North East Young Sculptor 2018 winner will be announced. Plus, a pop-up shop from Handmade Tyneside, which sells lighting and furniture crafted from wood salvaged regionally and Becky Mackenzie, whose ceramics have featured in the likes of ELLE Decoration and Living North.
Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Monday 27 August, 11am – 4pm – part of Great Northumberland 2018
Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September, 11am – 4pm – part of Great Northumberland 2018
Both weekends include a major solo exhibition of sculptures by award-winning artist Joseph Hillier. Hillier has developed a unique piece of work through a collaboration with Northumbrian dancer, Lizzie J. Klotz. Through a fusion of ancient bronze casting and digital 3D motion capture technology, Hillier has captured the movements and gestures of the dance in mid-performance.