Gallery: Theatre designer Anne Curry’s original artwork
Friday 23 August 2024
Award-winning set and costume designer, the late Anne Curry – who was renowned for her wonderfully expressive drawings - has left her archive of artwork to LIPA.
Keen to share her knowledge and working methods with the next generation of theatre designers, Anne taught at several higher education institutions, including LIPA. Anne died after a long illness in 2020, but before she passed away, she contacted us to say she wanted to donate her artwork to LIPA so it could continue to be used as a teaching tool.
An exhibition of some of Anne’s artwork is on display at LIPA and is used by lecturers to inspire students, with MA Costume Design and Making students creating costume’s based on Anne’s drawings.
Former Theatre & Performance Design course leader Ashley Shairp worked with Anne and was her friend. “It’s an amazing collection of everything she did and saved. It dates back to her time as a student at Birmingham Polytechnic in 1977. I was overwhelmed when she wanted to donate it to LIPA. We feel so lucky and honoured.
“I’ve been showing her work to students, and I tell them that they are almost perfect costume design drawings as they work on so many levels; they give lots of information about the character, lots of technical information so a maker knows what’s required and they are works of art in their own right. They are spectacular drawings, paintings and collages. They are incredibly inspiring.”
The collection is currently being catalogued and digitised. The gallery above is just a small sample of Anne's work.
