Baa’s House, Hetain Patel

Hetain Patel’s Baa’s House was a collection of films, sculptures and paintings that explored the personal significance of Patel’s late Grandmother, Lakshmiben Patel, and her home in Bolton. “Baa”, meaning “Mother” in Gujarati, became a central figure, sometimes connecting marginalised people to the widely-recognised world of Hollywood, and as a symbol of resistance against oppressive forces.

The Jump (2015) is a two-screen film installation. Part family portrait and part recreation of a Spider-Man scene filmed in Baa’s living room. Shot in super slow motion to an epic orchestral soundtrack, it features a home-made Spider-Man costume that could also be seen in the exhibition. Themes of metaphorically taking a leap into the unknown paralleled Patel’s family’s migration to the UK, with the heroism presented on our cinema screens.

Paintings newly-commissioned by Humber Street Gallery were rendered in acrylic, gold leaf and automotive paint. They formed part of a wider body of work that began in 2020, which saw the artist revisiting the subject matter of Baa’s House for the first time since Baa’s death in 2017.

For more information download exhibition guide here:

Related Events:

Thursday Lates: SALAAM!

Thursday 8 June 2023
7-9pm
Humber Street Gallery
Booking required

Hull based artist, Michael Barnes-Wynters (MBW) delivers a response to Hetain Patel’s exhibition Baa’s House, including the preparation, cooking and offering of a designed dhal with chapatti for all attendees, aided by his collaborator Emma Diamond. A physical print titled Curry Empire will be the evening’s ‘takeaway’ mindfood.

SALAAM! is an ongoing series of peaceful interventions exploring otherness. Find the accompanying SALAAM! soundtrack here.

An Evening with Critical Fish

Wednesday 10 May 2023
6:30-9pm
Humber Street Gallery
Booking required

Join us for evening at Humber Street Gallery hosted by Critical Fish to reflect and unpick themes present in our current exhibition programme. The evening with have a focus on looking/experiencing, exploring/sharing, questions, conversation, and writing.

Baa’s House: Artist Talk with Hetain Patel

Wednesday 3 May 2023
6:30-8pm
Online
Booking required

Join artist Hetain Patel for an online artist talk as he discusses his latest body of work for Humber Street Gallery, Baa’s House.

Exhibition Launch Party

Thursday 13 April 2023
6-9pm
Humber Street Gallery
No booking required

Join us to celebrate the joint launch of two new exhibitions at Humber Street Gallery, Winner Breaks First by Luke Beech and Baa’s House by Hetain Patel. This event is a chance to meet the artists, visit the exhibitions and to share a drink or two.

Artist bio

Hetain Patel is a visual artist and performance maker.

Patel has done Bruce Lee impersonations on stage at the Royal Opera House, completed commissions for Tate Modern and Sadler’s Wells, London, made a working class Transformer robot from an old Ford Fiesta (with his dad), designed part of a mini golf course for the Venice Biennale, toured his live performances, internationally (in English and French), made his first dance company work for Candoco, and was invited to do a TED talk which has since had over 2.9 million hits. His works are in public and private collections in the UK and internationally, including Tate, British Council and Fondazione In Between Art Film.

Patel is interested in connecting marginalised identities with the mainstream in an effort to destabilise notions of authenticity and promote personal freedom. With an autobiographical starting point he uses humour and the languages of popular culture to highlight familiarity within the exotic, recognition within the unknown. Sometimes this involves exploring fantasy through a DIY domestic lens, whilst other works emulate the high production values of Hollywood.

Working collaboratively with artists across disciplines, and with family members and non-professionals, Patel enjoys working across multiple languages, culturally and artistically.

Patel is represented by Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai, is a New Wave Associate at Sadler’s Wells, London, is a Patron of QUAD, Derby, Patron of Film London’s Jarman Award, and sits on the Artist Council for a-n. He is the winner of the Film London Jarman Award, 2019, Kino Der Kunst Festival’s Best International Film 2020, and has been selected to participate in British Art Show 9, touring through 2021-22.

14 April – 25 June 2023

Space 1, Humber Street Gallery

Free

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Installation view. Bloomberg New Contemporaries. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2022 © Jules Lister

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Installation view. In My Room, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings. Courtesy of Focal Point Gallery and the artists, 2020 © Anna Lukala

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Installation View, 2021. Leo Fitzmaurice, Autosuggestions. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister

Autosuggestions, Leo Fitzmaurice

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1:1 Advice Surgeries with Arts Council England

50 Queers for 50 Years Workshop © Chris Pepper

Creative Micro-Commission Programme

Model City, Absolutely Cultured © Chi He

Model City

Nnena Kalu, Wrapping. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Wrapping, Nnena Kalu

Frances Disley, The Cucumber Fell in the Sand. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

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Installation View. Jade Montserrat, Instituting Care. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

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Ella Dorton, Journey to the Centre of the Couch (Couches & Other Good Ideas). Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

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The Witching Hour, Absolutely Cultured © LDi Studios

The Witching Hour

Man On The Moon Keisha Thompson. IETM Hull 2019 © Keisha Thompson

IETM Hull 2019 Artistic Programme

Installation view. Measures of Life, The Lumen Prize for Digital Art. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2018. © Tom Arran

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Dominoes, Absolutely Cultured © Rob Battersby

Dominoes

Blade © Tom Arran

Blade

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Setting Off...

Perches and Flyways, 2023. Creative Connections Artists, Juneau Projects and Jennifer Holtridge © Jules Lister

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Winner Breaks First, Luke Beech. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery © Jules Lister

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Installation view. Oliver Ressler, Climate Feedback Loops. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2022 © Jules Lister

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Installation view. Various Artists, HSG Open Call Q1 2021. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2021. © Jules Lister

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Installation view, 2022. Harminder Judge, Ankles Absorbing Ash. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister

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Installation view. Kara Chin, Show Real. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2022 © Jules Lister

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Installation View, 2021. Jasleen Kaur, Flesh 'n' Blood. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister

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Floodlights, 2021. Absolutely Cultured © Thom Arran

FloodLights

Installation view. HSG Open Call - Season Two. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2021. © Jules Lister

HSG Open Call - Season Two

Installation View, 2021. Leo Fitzmaurice, Enjoy Civic Life. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister

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Fruit Factory Network site visit to Bloc Projects, Sheffield © Absolutely Cultured

Life as a Creative

Dance Exchange Hull, 2019 © Tom Arran

Meet the funders

Installation View. Practice in Place. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2020. © Jules Lister

Practice In Place

HIPI Hang Out Forum, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured

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Remote Talent Development

Installation view, 2019. Ollie Dook, Proboscidea Rappings. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister

Proboscidea Rappings, Ollie Dook

Dance Exchange Programme, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured

Dance Exchange Hull

Language Café © Chris Pepper

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Hull Takeover: Previews © The Herd/The Roaring Girls/Just Club

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Athena Papadopoulos, A Tittle-Tattle Tell-a-Tale-Heart, courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist 2019. © James Mulkeen

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Installation view. Place To Place: Liverpool Biennial Touring Programme. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2019. © Rob Battersby

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Jamie Reid XXXXX: Fifty Years of Subversion and The Spirit © James Mulkeen

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Contains Strong Language © BBC

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Land of Green Ginger © Tom Arran

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