About my Practice

Michelle Duxbury is an artist and postgraduate researcher from Leeds, with a studio practice based in Wakefield. She is currently undertaking a PhD by Practice in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at The University of Leeds

Her work explores an intrinsic link between landscape, body and identity, and how our individual and collective (dis)connection to landscape can impact on our feelings of belonging/not belonging. She works with embroidery, moving image, sound and immersive installation work, using fictional narratives and speculative thinking to radically reimagine how disabled (and other marginalised) people might interact with landscapes they can not be physically present in, drawing on her own experiences as a disabled, neurodivergent woman from a working-class background.

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Michelle Duxbury
Born Leeds, UK.
Based in Leeds, UK.

Education
2015: Leeds College of Art, Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
1996: University of Leeds, MA Sociology
1994: University of Humberside, BA (Hons) Applied Social Sciences

Solo Shows:
2022: The Art House, “[on becoming a ghost…]” Wakefield, UK.

Group Shows:
2025: Holy Trinity Project Space, “Leeds Dollhouse Show”, London, UK
2025: The Art House, “Nature: Sensory”, Wakefield, UK.
2024: School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University of Leeds, “Loose Environments”, Leeds, UK.
2024: First White Cloth Hall, “The Spring Exhibition”, Leeds, UK.
2024: Leeds Art Gallery, “Found Cities, Lost Objects”, Leeds, UK.
2024: First White Cloth Hall, “Beyond Colours From Life”, Leeds, UK.
2023: Leeds Industrial Museum “Any work that wanted doing” Leeds, UK.
2023: Hyde Park Book Club, “Personism” Leeds, UK.
2023: Leeds Art Gallery, “Leeds Artists Show” Leeds, UK.
2022: The Art House, “Loose Screw Film Festival” Wakefield, UK.
2022: Ridings Centre, “Follow The Thread” Wakefield, UK.
2022: Mental Health Museum, “Recollections May Vary” Wakefield, UK. 
2022: Leeds Playhouse, “Leeds Summer Group Show” Leeds, UK. 
2022: “Another Space Within”
2021: The House Of Smalls, “Mirror Mirror On The Wall”
2021: The Tetley, “The Outliers” (PANIC! Network Bursary)
2021: The House Of Smalls, “This Volatile State”
2021: Yellow Edge Gallery, “Shape & Patterns In Creativity” Gosport, UK. 
2021: The House Of Smalls, “The Time Of Her Life”
2021: Pyramid Of Arts, ‘Pyramid Open 2021”
2021: The House Of Smalls, “The Portrait Within”
2020: The House Of Smalls, “Facing It”
2020: “Possible All Along”
2020: Fronteer Gallery, “All Shall Pass” Sheffield, UK.
2020: Arts & Minds Annual Exhibition “Change Is Gonna Come”
2020: “Leeds Summer Group Show”

Awards/Grants/Residencies
2025: Unlimited Winter Bursary
2024: Made in Wakefield – Large Grants, Wakefield Council for Nature: Sensory
2024: Develop Residency and Commission, Wakefield Business Residencies, Unlimited
2023: AA2A Artist in Residence, School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, Leeds University
2023: Unlimited Micro-Commission
2022: Made in Wakefield – Large Grants, Wakefield Council for Loose Screw Film Festival
2022: Leeds Inspired Main Grants, Leeds City Council for DITTO
2022: Sculpture Network ‘22, Yorkshire Sculpture International. 
2021: Develop Your Creative Practice, Arts Council England. 
2021: PANIC! Network Bursary, The Tetley.
2021: Outside In Artist Residency, The Art House, Wakefield, UK.

Professional Appointments
2024: Advisory Board, AA2A
2023: Chair of Programme, Development, Marketing Committee, Shape Arts
2022: Board Of Trustees, The Tetley 
2021: Board Of Trustees, Shape Arts 
2021: Artist Ambassador, Outside In

Memberships
2023: Public Statues and Sculpture Association
2021: DISrupt (founding member)
2020: Outside In
2019: The Society For Embroidered Work