Sheffield-based muralist Phlegm has invited audiences to look back onto the COVID-19 pandemic with a new and unique exhibition at the Millennium Gallery.
The Welsh-born Sheffield artist has curated Pandemic Diary which he says is an introspective look back at the pandemic. It is is currently on display at the Millennium Gallery in the heart of the city.
The showcase opened 13 January and will end on 7 July.
Phlegm said: “To have this very personal collection kept together and held in Sheffield couldn’t be more perfect. Sheffield is where I started out and found my voice as an artist and it will always feel like home.”
Many of those in the Sheffield community know of Phlegm’s work through murals painted on the city’s buildings, but Pandemic Diary reveals the range of work he has created with illustrations displayed on small framed postcards.
The Welsh artist’s murals have been showcased worldwide, but he says this new exhibition shows a more personal side to his body of work.
Although Phlegm no longer works in Sheffield, he describes the city as the place where he found his artistic voice which to him will always remain special.
When COVID-19 hit the world, Phlegm began to document his reflections of daily life in lockdown. In addition to incorporating recognisable aspects of the pandemic, the 67 pen and ink drawings mimic brutalist depictions of previous plagues.
The scratchy cross-hatching on the characters and settings are similar to mediaeval era illustrations, making the pandemic seem longer ago than it actually is.
The reception from the exhibition has been wildly positive, with many praising Phlegm’s style in how successful it portrayed the message.
Sheffield resident Sheila Tidy, 65, who viewed the display, said: “This exhibition is a perfect reflection of what we had to go through during the pandemic. It’s really clever and witty.”
The exhibition covers many aspects of the pandemic’s effects on humanity. Elements such as disposable masks, isolation, social distancing, and the illness that held fear over people’s heads feature in the drawings.
Karen Tune, 49, who also attended the exhibition, said: “It’s strange to think that COVID-19 only happened four years ago, it truly feels like a lifetime ago.”
