Amelia Bowles’ Komorebi Brings Light, Colour and Movement to Sunny Bank Mills

Sunny Bank Mills is delighted to present Komorebi, a striking new outdoor installation by artist Amelia Bowles, curated by Senem Cagla Bilgin-Keys. Installed across the sculpture garden, the work will be on public view from 9 May 2026 to May 2028.

Komorebi transforms the site of former weaving sheds into an immersive experience of light, colour and movement. Set within the colonnade, the installation responds directly to the architecture and history of the Mills, inviting visitors to explore the site’s industrial past in a completely new way.

The title Komorebi comes from a Japanese phrase describing the delicate effect of sunlight filtering through leaves. Bowles translates this fleeting natural phenomenon into sculptural form, using lightweight, paper-like structures that interact with sunlight throughout the day.

As the sun moves, so does the artwork. Light passes through the structures, casting shifting shadows and colours that change with time and viewpoint. Visitors are encouraged to walk through and around the installation, experiencing how it evolves from moment to moment, at times appearing solid and monolithic, at others dissolving into lines, colour and light.

The sequence of large-scale sculptural elements respond to the rhythm of the day, echoing the changing qualities of natural light from the cooler tones of morning and evening to the warmer hues of midday. Their vivid colours are intentionally heightened, creating a bold visual contrast against the historic mill setting.

At its heart, Komorebi is about slowing down and becoming more aware of our surroundings. It invites visitors to notice the passage of time, the movement of light, and the relationship between the built environment and the natural world.

Artist Amelia Bowles said: “My work weaves patterns of shifting luminosity, shaped by weather, movement, and perspective, to evoke a bodily sense of time and place. I was touched by the history and industrial past of the Mills and when placed in dialogue with the Colonnade, Komorebi, takes on an almost archaeological depth where light and shadow mirror rhythms of industry and collectivity. I’m thrilled this series of works will be on public view at Sunny Bank Mills. It’s such an exciting place, where community engagement drives new ways to encounter arts and culture.”

Anna Turzynski, Arts Director at Sunny Bank Mills, said: “Komorebi is a beautiful and immersive work that transforms the way we experience the Mills’ site. It connects our industrial heritage with something much more atmospheric and universal – light, time and perception. Amelia Bowles has created an installation that feels both delicate and powerful, encouraging visitors to slow down, look closely and see the Mills in a completely new way.”

By bringing together past and present, industry and nature, Komorebi offers a fresh perspective on Sunny Bank Mills not just as a historic site, but as a living, changing landscape shaped by light, space and human experience.

The installation is free to visit and open to the public until May 2028. There is a public launch of Komorebi on the Weavers’ Colonnade at Sunny Bank Mills on Saturday 9 May, 2.30pm-3.30pm. Book via: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/komorebi-sculpture-launch-tickets-1987118119788

Sunny Bank Mills is one of the most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs in the Yorkshire region. It is home to an acclaimed contemporary Art Gallery, a large artists’ studio community, a textile Museum & Archive, and with many other creative independent businesses on site. It’s situated in the heart of the thriving village of Farsley in West Leeds.

For more information about Komorebi: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/komorebi/

Images: supplied by Sunny Bank Mills.