Established in 1888, Leeds Art Gallery is the oldest gallery in Leeds. It is home to a vast and varied collection of works, which attracts over half a million visitors per year. It is one of the most significant visual art organisations in Yorkshire.
In 2016 the gallery closed its doors for over a year while the building was renovated. To coincide with the re-opening, Leeds Museums and Galleries tasked us to produce a brand for the gallery that would represent a new chapter in its history.
Bringing back an art gallery
We created a contemporary, typography-led identity to sweep away preconceptions and give the gallery the confidence to compete with other major art attractions, both locally and nationally. Although modern in application, the idea of using a stencil typeface is rooted in art history. Some of the earliest known artworks were produced by prehistoric man, using natural pigments and their hands as stencils against rock formations. Even today, many artists still use stencil techniques in one form or another.