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A blue sculpture by Garth Evans
Garth Evans Anti-Virus 2023

Garth Evans: The Anti-Virus Sculptures

22 May 2026 – 3 October 2026

Leeds Art Gallery

British sculptor Garth Evans (b. 1934) began the Anti-Virus Sculptures during the first Covid lockdown in his home in Connecticut, USA. Curated by Sam Cornish, this is the first solo exhibition dedicated to these small-scale plaster sculptures.

 

Playfulness is interlaced with disquiet and ambiguity, and the man-made meets the organic. More than 50 from the still on-going series will be exhibited in Leeds. 
 
Evans has said of the series: “It was a very uncertain time, and we did not know if it would end. I had this fantasy that I could create an army of sculptures that could somehow protect the world or at least protect me. And in a way, they did protect me. They kept me sane, and I am still here.” 
 
Evans names each sculpture, responding to the mood or personality they seem to project. There will be an opportunity for visitors to the exhibition in Leeds to suggest titles for as yet unnamed sculptures.

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