Jason and the Wakefield Adventure

Jason Wilsher-Mills was born in Wakefield in 1969. At 11 years old, Jason was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition triggered by chickenpox, which confined him to a wheelchair. Through brightly coloured psychedelic inflatables sculptures and interactive digital projections, Jason’s artworks celebrate disability, northern working-class heritage, popular culture and social history.

Featuring in this exhibition is a new 20-metre inflatable sculpture, Jason’s largest and most ambitious artwork to date, created especially for Wakefield.  Jason has collaborated with local disabled community groups in Wakefield to develop this new sculpture, which focuses on different aspects of Wakefield’s history. 

The sculpture is particularly inspired by the Jolly Pinder of Wakefield whose story is told in a medieval folk ballad in which he meets Robin Hood and his merry men whilst protecting Wakefield. Jason was drawn to the Jolly Pinder because his name was lent to the naming of Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. It was at this hospital where Jason spent a year, from 1980-1981, and was diagnosed with his illness - a pivotal moment in Jason’s life. Jason and the community groups have imagined the Jolly Pinder as a fantastical character, both magical and mysterious, whilst being colourful and full of humour…. much like the ‘Merrie City’ of Wakefield itself.

For more information about Jason Wilsher-Mills, visit:  www.jwmartist.co.uk