Nicola Ellis: Exercises in Knowing

21 Feb-17 May 2026

Overview

Three new exciting bodies of work that explore how we relate to industry, materials, and labour

For this exhibition, Exercises in Knowing, Nicola Ellis has created three new bodies of work that extend her ongoing collaboration with the steel enclosure manufacturer Ritherdon & Co in Darwen, Lancashire. In it, Ellis explores how we relate to industry, materials, and labour, highlighting the role of sensory and tacit knowledge in these relationships, as well as the ways such knowledge is communicated.

Ellis’ work is often created in response to contexts outside of traditional art environments, using discarded or overlooked materials, substances or subjects within industrial or scientific contexts. By combining sculpted, found and digitally manipulated materials, she creates forms that retain the traces of their origins exploring their ecologies and legacies.