Owen Humphreys/PA
The twisted canal boat sculpture was designed and created by Alex Chinneck
Two pieces of public art in Yorkshire have been shortlisted for a national award.
The Industry, a loop-the-loop canal boat sculpture on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, and Ribbons, which champions some of Leeds’ most inspirational women, have been included.
They are among five pieces of art nominated for the 2025 Public Statues and Sculpture Association (PSSA) Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture.
The public can vote for their favourite sculpture on the PSSA website, with voting open until 5 October.
Ribbons champions some of Leeds’ most inspirational women
Measuring 5m (16ft) high and comprising five steel ribbons engraved with the names of almost 400 women, Ribbons was commissioned as part of efforts to redress the gender imbalance in public art in Leeds.
Creator Pippa Hale said the sculpture helped “celebrate the achievements of women in our city”.
Following a public call-out, nearly 400 women from all walks of life were nominated to have their names engraved into the steel ribbons.
Explaining the design, Hale said: “Ribbons tie many parts together, so the idea is that we are binding the names of these women together over time and space in a celebration of womanhood.”
‘Uplifting and endearing’
The Industry celebrates Sheffield’s historic waterways and industrial heritage. It was designed and created by Alex Chinneck, who is known for his large-scale pieces that warp well-known structures.
Located between locks four and five of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, The Industry measures 42ft (13m) and is named after the first vessel to navigate the waterway when it opened in 1819.
Speaking about the work following its unveiling, Chinneck said he had “tried to create an uplifting and endearing landmark that belongs to this historic location while honouring the city’s industrial history by pushing steel to its material limit”.
The Industry has also been shortlisted in the Sheffield Design Awards for Public Art, with the winner announced in November.
The other sculptures shortlisted for the PSSA award are Jason deCaires Taylor’s ‘Alluvia’ in Canterbury, Ryan Gander’s ‘Know Not Your Place in the World’ in Southwark, London and ‘na Dorsan’, by Will Maclean and Marian Leven, on the Isle of Lewis.