Huddersfield Artist Benaiah Matheson brings ‘Town Island’ exhibition to Kirklees
A new exhibition titled “Town Island” by Huddersfield artist Benaiah Matheson will be held at the University of Huddersfield, located in the award-winning Sovereign Design House.
Town Island explores the cultural and historical connections between Carriacou Island, Grenada, and Huddersfield, drawing on the 1950s migration of Carriacou people to the UK.
Through textiles, sculpture, video, and painting, Benaiah Matheson examines themes of migration, identity, and belonging, inspired by his own family’s experience.
Key themes include the history of Windrush, migration, culture and recently the environmental and community devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean in 2024.
Benaiah Matheson reflected on the project and journey to the Caribbean, saying: “Born and raised in Huddersfield, I maintain a deep connection to the island of Carriacou, through my heritage and culture; my work explores the dynamic interplay between Town and Island.
“Through this practice, I highlight the 80-year presence of the Carriacou community in Huddersfield – the largest such community in the UK, fostering pride and uncovering shared histories that form a significant part of the town’s multicultural fabric and collective identity. Weaving community voices with materials has become an integral element of my practice.”
Councillor Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council and Cabinet Member for Culture said:
“I am thrilled that we will begin 2025 featuring a local artist as part of our ‘Huddersfield Art Gallery Curates Programme.’ This artist’s work was showcased at the prestigious Venice Biennale exhibition in 2024 and now we have collaborated with our partners, Yorkshire Contemporary and Huddersfield University, to bring the exhibition to Huddersfield. I hope our residents take this opportunity to enjoy this remarkable exhibition and I hope that Benaiah’s work will inspire aspiring artists in our community.”
The Town Island exhibition, featuring special events listed below, runs from Saturday 25 January 2025, until Saturday 22 March 2025. The opening hours are Monday to Wednesday: 11 am to 4 pm, and Saturday: 11 am to 4 pm at Sovereign Design House, Queen Street South Annexe, Huddersfield HD1 3DR.
Town Island Launch, with artist and co-creators – Saturday 25 January, 3pm-7pm
Town Island and Oral Histories, with artist and guests -Thursday 6 Feb, 4-6pm
Cultures of Climate Change, research programme launch – Thursday 20 Mar, 3-7pm
An audio recording of a pre-show interview with artist Benaiah Matheson can be found on the Kirklees Council museums and galleries blog. Additionally, the interview will be featured in print in the upcoming “Cultures of Creative Health” publication and exhibition catalogue, which will be released later this month. More information can be found on the Cultures of Creative Health webpage.