Sheila Hicks
PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS DE LILLE, FRANCE: UNTIL 8 MARCH 2027
8 October 2026 – 8 March 2027
Sheila Hicks, 2023. © Antoine Doyen. Photography: Antoine Doyen.
‘Textiles are a universal language. In all cultures around the world, textiles play an essential and crucial role’.
– Sheila Hicks
Fascinated by ancient textile cultures—particularly the weaving techniques of pre-Columbian civilisations—Sheila Hicks draws inspiration from their forms, materials, and sensuality to create works that defy conventional categorisation. The artist enjoys challenging the boundaries between the visual arts, crafts, and design; in her view, the language of threads is universal and serves as a link between people and cultures. She always takes into account the specific characteristics of the venue where she exhibits, which makes her creations unique.
Created using threads of every colour, Sheila Hicks’s works play with the form and materiality of the fibre. Oscillating between weightlessness and sensuality, they blur spatial boundaries and embody a value dear to the artist, who claims the word ‘Freedom’ as her middle name.
Designed specifically for the atrium space, this site-specific artwork establishes a dialogue with the volumes, light, and architecture of the Palais des Beaux-Arts, as well as with the history of Lille and northern France. A commercial hub since its founding and a manufacturing centre since the 16th century, Lille flourished in the 19th century thanks to its textile and mechanical industries. Even today, the textile industry holds a special place in this region.