Artist Suhail Shaikh presents two talks on his Paper My Wishes exhibition at The Atkinson in Southport

Inspirational artist Suhail Shaikh will give two talks about his sensational Paper My Wishes art exhibition currently on display at The Atkinson in Southport.

Suhail will be speaking at the venue on Lord Street 1pm-2pm today (Friday, 16th February 2024) and 11am-midday this Saturday (17th February 2024).

Both talks take place in The Atkinson – Studio.

They are free, with donations welcome.

His current Paper My Wishes exhibition includes his stunning ‘The Many’ sculpture of a nose section of a World War Two RAF Lancaster, made entirely from paper and cardboard.

The living sculpture is covered in moving stories, pictures, letters and other items celebrating Southport people who served in Bomber Command during World War Two.

Suhail said: “Where light meets air is how I experience the subtle expressions of paper.

Artist Suhail Shaikh has used paper to create an exact replica sculpture of a World War II Supermarine Spitfire which was flown in 1942 by Polish pilot Sergeant Jerzy Stanislaw Zielinsky of the 308 Krakowski Squadron which was based at RAF Woodvale near Southport. The sculpture is part of the Courage and Devotion exhibition at The Atkinson on Lord Street in Southport which runs from Saturday, 26th June 2021 until Saturday, 12th March 2022

“Paper embodies the contrasting qualities of lightness and rigidity, fragility, and durability, expressing the ephemeral through the tangible. These coexisting opposites greatly influence my expression.

“I try to give physical form to a moment that I have glimpsed or experienced. Inspiration is drawn from the life around me and my hands seek to interpret them in white paper, where the simplicity of the material mixes with the complexity of the idea.

Guests enjoyed the launch night of the new The Many / Paper My Wishes exhibition by artist Suhail Shaikh at the Atkinson in Southport.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport

“At some point aviation history and an eye for detail merged in me and I began transforming the static aeroplane replica into a historical narrative. I’m fascinated by the stories of those who designed them, built them, flew them and fought in them.

“I have a special admiration for the RAF and for British engineering and I pursue a whole range of engineering-art and aircraft-stories to understand my fascination better.

“And why aeroplanes? Because wings are wonderful designs, because gravity-defying lumps of metal in the sky are fascinating, because that’s where danger and excitement go hand in hand, and because to fly, as written by John Gillespie Magee Jr. in his poem High Flight, is to escape the ‘surly bonds of earth’, and taste freedom.”

This talk will run for approximately one hour, followed by a book signing.

Suhail will then be in the gallery to chat to people about his exhibition.

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