Jonathan Baldock: WYRD

“WYRD”, a new commission by Jonathan Baldock, transforms the Ballroom Gallery into a zoo of hybrid animals made from textile and clay. Drawing on species known for same-sex sexual behaviour, penguin, giraffe, crab and elephant are reimagined as fantastical creatures such as phoenix, harpy, cervitaur and mermaid. These sculptural beings dance, gather, nest and dream, their forms inspired by vintage soft toy manuals and how-to books from the 1970s and 80s. Hands, feet, noses, ears and faces are cast from the artist and his life partner Rafał Zajko, creating figures that exist somewhere between human and animal.

The exhibition takes the Old Norse word wyrd to signify exceptional otherness, fate and transformation. Through shape-shifting creatures, Baldock traces connections between queer lives, loves and histories, exploring our relationships with animals, nature and the wider environment. The presentation combines humour, vulnerability and hope, inviting reflection on interconnectedness and the magical potential of difference, while celebrating the hybridity and fantastical qualities of life beyond conventional forms.