The pioneering downtown sculpture leaves a lasting legacy in its wake

An eye-catching sculpture in Leeds is leaving after six years in the city square, leaving behind a lasting legacy of public art.

Legs Walking has been a feature of the market since it was kindly loaned to the city by a private collector in 2018.

The owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has now asked for it to be returned, which will see the colorful sculpture carefully removed from near Mill Hill Chapel this week. The sculpture will remain on public display at a new location in Yorkshire that has yet to be announced.

Made by Leeds-born Kenneth Armitage, widely regarded as one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, Legs Walking was his penultimate work and was installed alongside Both Arms in the Mandela Gardens in Millennium Square, which will stay put.

The departure of Legs Walking comes as a new legacy of public art is being established in Leeds, with a series of stunning, world-class pieces with the stories of Leeds at their heart arriving in the city.

Last November, Yinka Shonibare’s spectacular Hibiscus Rising was installed close to Aire Park. The incredible piece commemorates the life and death of David Oluwale, a British-Nigerian man who died in 1969 after being racially harassed.

The artwork closely followed the opening of the David Oluwale Bridge which crosses the River Aire between Sovereign Street and Water Lane.

Later this year will also see the unveiling of Ribbons, a new piece by artist Pippa Hale, located next to Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill campus.

Comprised of five steel ribbons, the sculpture will bear the names of almost 400 inspirational Leeds women, including social reformer and suffragist Isabella Ford, former Olympic boxer Nicola Adams OBE and Leeds West Indian Carnival founder Gertrude Paul.

Last year a stunning mural designed to spark conversations about violence against women and girls was created at St Anne’s Resource Center and a series of murals paying tribute to the town’s local wildlife were also created recently near Leeds Waterfront.

The council is also keen to gather feedback and assessments over the coming months on creative ways to use the Town Square.

Councilor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culturesaid: “It has been an absolute privilege to have Legs Walking on display in the city and we would like to thank the owner for allowing this beautiful sculpture to be part of the city’s cultural landscape for so long.

“It is also inspiring to see the legacy this piece leaves behind and how it has so successfully paved the way for a new generation of world-class public artworks, telling important stories of Leeds and capturing the heart and our city’s heritage.”

IT’S ENDING