ONE of the North East’s most celebrated and accomplished painters is to have her largest solo show to date next year.

Laura Lancaster’s My Echo, My Shadow exhibition will be at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA)’s main gallery, in Sunderland, from March 16 to June 30 and will present new paintings and drawings made over the last few years.

Laura, who is based in Newcastle, finds inspiration from photographs, slides and cine films of strangers, bought from online auction sites, flea markets and junk shops.

The Northern Echo: Laura Lancaster is to have her largest solo show to date at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary

Hartlepool-born Laura’s painting process starts with drawing. The drawings aim not to copy the photos, but to encapsulate the feeling that she gets when she looks at them. From each drawing, she makes a painting, and then from that painting, another painting, and so on.

Laura’s free My Echo, My Shadow exhibition includes a selection of these drawings, placing her paintings in context.

Jon Weston, NGCA curator, said: “We are delighted to host the largest show of Laura’s incredible paintings and drawings to date.

"Over recent years Laura has been pushing the boundaries of her practice and producing work which delves into the history of painting readdressing the position of the female figure.

The Northern Echo: Laura Lancaster is to have her largest solo show to date at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Laura Lancaster is to have her largest solo show to date at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (Image: KUBA RYNIEWICZ)

“Confronting a gendered history of painting, Laura draws upon numerous styles and genres as well as touching on the history of painting as a medium. She paints women in classical poses - in front of mirrors, in lush green landscapes or in moments of rest. However, they avoid a simple passive reading, instead they allude to confinement, vulnerability and control.

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“This marks the perfect time to focus on Laura’s recent work. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across Laura’s home region of the Northeast and further afield, internationally, to experience her work.”

Laura graduated with a degree in fine art from Northumbria University and has exhibited work across the UK and around the world – including shows in South Korea and the United States.

For more information, go to www.northerngalleryforcontemporaryart.org.uk

The Northern Echo: Shaking Through, by Laura Lancaster, one of the artworks in the exhibitionShaking Through, by Laura Lancaster, one of the artworks in the exhibition (Image: LAURA LANCASTER/TOM CARTER)