Sarah Roberts: SICK

Enter into an artistic exploration of environments of care in two parts by Leeds-based artist Sarah Roberts.

Drawing on her own experiences of growing up as a young carer, Sarah Roberts (b.1980, Eryri, Wales) explores the blurring of hospital and home settings in her first institutional solo show. Commissioned by the University of Leeds, this new body of work reflects on the everyday situations lived by a sick person and their family. Weekends spent in hospitals. An IV drip in the lounge. The longing for normality. Palliative and chronic care coupled with moments of escapism. 

The work also draws on research conducted during a six-month artist residency at the University of Leeds in 2024. Roberts studied a wide range of materials from our Cultural Collections, the University's Museum of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, and the Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds. She also connected and exchanged ideas with academics from Philosophy and Medical Humanities. 

Spanning both our Galleries for the first time, 'SICK' is an invitation into the artist's childhood and her creative process. 

At The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, ‘SICK (a note from 40 Sandilands Road and other stories)’ invites visitors into an immersive installation, taking over the temporary exhibition space. The installation is made up of discrete areas brimming with ceramics, industrial materials, found objects, medical paraphernalia, collage, sound, textiles and blown glass. Each 'room' a rich sensory experience. Multi-layered and pastel-coloured, the installation evokes the strangeness of living in hybrid. A world where the boundaries between home and hospital become porous. And it invites unpicking, infilling with own experience, and conversation. Whilst dealing with challenging issues, ‘SICK’ aims to be joyful and cathartic.   

Over in Treasures of the Brotherton, ‘SICK TOO’ features a selection of objects from the University of Leeds' Cultural Collections. This display uncovers the creative process behind ‘SICK’ in the artist's own words. Led by an interest in caring practices, Roberts' research traversed images, medical objects, cookery recipes for convalescents, folk remedies, hygiene, human anatomy, illness and restorative practices. Materials that encompass family life, public health and medical tourism. Co-curated by Roberts, the objects in ‘SICK TOO’ represent care across contexts and cultures. The selection is also anchored by the artist's lived experience. Alongside each item, Roberts reflects on her encounter with the object and its significance to her creative process. She invites us to join her conversations with the collections.  

An accompanying zine edition by Sarah Roberts featuring collaged images and creative writing is on sale in our shop.  

Please note that this exhibition deals with themes that some people may find difficult, such as illness, chronic and palliative care and grief. If you feel you need further support when visiting the exhibition, please see the list of resources available online here. There are also further resources available in the gallery.   

Supported by the Henry Moore Foundation.

Image credit: Sarah Roberts, Sick (a note from 40 Sandilands Road and other stories), 2024-25. ©The Artist.