Manchester icons celebrated in new Stanley Chow exhibition in the Arndale
Manchester Arndale shopping centre is displaying icons of notable Manchester figures created by acclaimed illustrator Stanley Chow.
The MCR Made exhibition sees 13 giant inflatable portraits (up to six metres in length) suspended throughout the Arndale, creating an immersive trail.
Picture © Jason Lock Photography
Among the famous Mancunians brought to life in the exhibition are, Liam and Noel Gallagher, footballers Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden, suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, scientist and inventor of the computer, Alan Turing, artist L.S. Lowry, TV legend Caroline Aherne, author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay and rapper Aitch, alongside other trailblazers whose influence continues to shape culture around the world.
Stanley Chow said: “The Arndale Centre for me is my Mecca, and I’m sure it is for so many people from Manchester. I’m old enough to remember when it first opened as a shopping centre nearly 50 years ago, and I haven’t stopped coming here since. I’m a proud Mancunian, so I was very flattered and touched to be asked to do this. Art needs to be seen everywhere, and not always necessarily in a gallery. I can’t think of a better place for as many people as possible from all walks of life to be able to see my work presented this way.”
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Manchester has always been a city that outperforms and exceeds expectations. Through music, sport, science, politics, creativity and innovation, Manchester’s influence is recognised around the world, and MCR Made celebrates the icons whose talent, ambition and determination helped build that reputation.
“The exhibition feels particularly at home inside Manchester Arndale, itself a Manchester institution that has been woven into the city’s fabric for almost five decades. The shopping centre provides the perfect backdrop for celebrating Manchester, its creativity and the iconic figures behind its global reputation.”
Stan Chow has become one of Britain’s most recognisable illustrators, with his bold, minimalist portraits earning international acclaim across sport, music, politics and popular culture.
His simple but instantly recognisable style has seen him depict everyone from musicians and footballers to Hollywood actors and political figures.
Recent portraits have included Andy Burnham, Count Binface and Jude Bellingham.
