Hetain Patel’s Baa’s House is a collection of films, sculptures and paintings that explore the personal significance of Patel’s late Grandmother, Lakshmiben Patel, and her home in Bolton. “Baa”, meaning “Mother” in Gujarati, becomes a central figure, sometimes connecting marginalised people to the widely-recognised world of Hollywood, and as a symbol of resistance against oppressive forces.
The Jump (2015) is a two-screen film installation. Part family portrait and part recreation of a Spider-Man scene filmed in Baa’s living room. Shot in super slow motion to an epic orchestral soundtrack, it features a home-made Spider-Man costume that can also be seen in the exhibition. Themes of metaphorically taking a leap into the unknown parallels Patel’s family’s migration to the UK, with the heroism presented on our cinema screens.
Paintings newly-commissioned by Humber Street Gallery are rendered in acrylic, gold leaf and automotive paint. They form part of a wider body of work that began in 2020, which sees the artist revisiting the subject matter of Baa’s House for the first time since Baa’s death in 2017.
