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.
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
Past events
You and Me in HU3, Russell Boyce and George Norris. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery, 2024 © Jules Lister
You and Me in HU3, Russell Boyce and George Norris
Our Strength is in Our Connection, Miranda Van Rossum and Hanna Lutkin
Winner Breaks First, Luke Beech. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery © Jules Lister
Winner Breaks First, Luke Beech
Installation view. Oliver Ressler, Climate Feedback Loops. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2022 © Jules Lister
Climate Feedback Loops, Oliver Ressler
© Floral & Lace
Luxury Christmas Wreath Making With Floral & Lace @ Humber Street Gallery
Installation view. Various Artists, HSG Open Call Q1 2021. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2021. © Jules Lister
HSG Open Call
Installation view, 2022. Harminder Judge, Ankles Absorbing Ash. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister
Ankles Absorbing Ash, Harminder Judge
Installation view. Kara Chin, Show Real. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2022 © Jules Lister
Show Real, Kara Chin
Installation View, 2021. Jasleen Kaur, Flesh 'n' Blood. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister
Flesh ‘n’ Blood, Jasleen Kaur
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
Enjoy Civic Life, Leo Fitzmaurice
Fruit Factory Network site visit to Bloc Projects, Sheffield © Absolutely Cultured
Life as a Creative
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
Arts Council England under £15k Applications: Top Tips with Deb Ashby
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
Hull Takeover: Previews © The Herd/The Roaring Girls/Just Club
Hull Takeover: Previews
Athena Papadopoulos, A Tittle-Tattle Tell-a-Tale-Heart, courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist 2019. © James Mulkeen
A Tittle-Tattle Tell-a-Tale Heart, Athena Papadopoulos
Installation view. Place To Place: Liverpool Biennial Touring Programme. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2019. © Rob Battersby
Place To Place: Liverpool Biennial Touring Programme
Jamie Reid XXXXX: Fifty Years of Subversion and The Spirit © James Mulkeen
Jamie Reid XXXXX: Fifty Years of Subversion and The Spirit
Diasporas Now UK Tour at Humber Street Gallery, 2024 © Abbie Jennings
Diasporas Now UK Tour
BOOTLEG SHREG & FRIENDS, 2023. Bruce Asbestos © Jules Lister
BOOTLEG SHREG & FRIENDS, Bruce Asbestos
Baa's House, Hetain Patel. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery, 2023 © Jules Lister
Baa's House, Hetain Patel
Installation view. Lou Lou Sainsbury, Earth is a Deadname, 2022. Commissioned and produced by Gasworks. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. Photo: Jules Lister
Earth is a Deadname, Lou Lou Sainsbury
Nobody by Motionhouse. Image © Dan Tucker
Nobody: A Dance-Circus Adventure
Installation view, 2022. INTER_CHANGE Showcase. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister
INTER_CHANGE Showcase
Installation view. Ashley Holmes, Trust Melody. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2022 © Jules Lister
Trust Melody, Ashley Holmes
Installation view, 2021. In Conversation as Collective Strategy. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister
In Conversation as Collective Strategy
50 Queers for 50 Years Workshop © Chris Pepper
Creative Case for Diversity: An Introduction
Fruit Factory Network site visit to Bloc Projects, Sheffield © Absolutely Cultured
Introduction to Fundraising in the Arts
Installation View. HSG Open Call - Season One. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2021. © Jules Lister
HSG Open Call - Season One (2021)
Chatty Hull, 2019 © Absolutely Cultured
Making work with and for communities
Installation view, 2020. Jamie Crewe, Solidarity & Love. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister.
Jamie Crewe, Solidarity & Love
Model City, Absolutely Cultured © Tom Arran
Volunteer Community Support and Crisis Response
Installation view, 2020. Lucy Clout, ZZZ. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2020. © Jules Lister
Lucy Clout, ZZZ
Installation View, 2019. Aniara Omann, Equanipolis. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister
Equanipolis, Aniara Omann
Installation View. Mike S Redmond and Faye Coral Jones (MSR FCJ), Ecstatic Rituals.Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister
Ecstatic Rituals
IETM Hull © Tom Arran
Emerging Cultural Leaders Mobility Bursary 2019 - Information Event
PRS Foundation's New Music Biennial 2019, Absolutely Cultured © Tom Arran
PRS Foundation New Music Biennial 2019
Cut, Humber Street Gallery 2019. © James Mulkeen
Cut, Richard Houguez & Graham Jones
Candoco Dance Company © Hugo Glendinning
IETM Hull 2019 Plenary Meeting
Oh The Night! - imitating the dog. Urban Legends: Northern Lights, Absolutely Cultured © Tom Arran
Urban Legends: Northern Lights
Installation view. It Takes A Village. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists 2019. © James Mulkeen
It Takes a Village
Perches and Flyways, 2023. Creative Connections Artists, Juneau Projects and Jennifer Holtridge © Jules Lister
Perches and Flyways, Creative Connections Artists with Jennifer Holtridge and Juneau Projects
Pearson Primary Portraits, 2023 © Jules Lister
Pearson Primary Portraits, Class 5
Installation view. Bloomberg New Contemporaries. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artists, 2022 © Jules Lister
Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2022
Kristin McGuire © Studio McGuire / Nikki Rummer © Camilla Greenwell
An evening of physical performance with Kristin McGuire and Nikki Rummer
© Middle Child
Out Loud Scratch Night with Middle Child and Silent Uproar
© Pheobe riley Law
High Street Soundwalk Artist Talk: Jez riley French
Installation view. In My Room, Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings. Courtesy of Focal Point Gallery and the artists, 2020 © Anna Lukala
In My Room, Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings
Installation View, 2021. Leo Fitzmaurice, Autosuggestions. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist. © Jules Lister
Autosuggestions, Leo Fitzmaurice
Gipsyville Christmas Tree, 2020 © Absolutely Cultured
Christmas Activities 2020
HIPI Hang Out Forum, Absolutely Cultured © Absolutely Cultured
1:1 Advice Surgeries with Arts Council England
50 Queers for 50 Years Workshop © Chris Pepper
Creative Micro-Commission Programme
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
The Cucumber Fell In The Sand, Frances Disley
Installation View. Jade Montserrat, Instituting Care. Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister
Jade Montserrat: Instituting Care
Ella Dorton, Journey to the Centre of the Couch (Couches & Other Good Ideas). Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery and the artist, 2019. © Jules Lister
Journey To The Centre Of The Couch (Couches & Other Good Ideas), Ella Dorton
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
