YSP's historic Chapel was transform in a joyful display of colour and light by artist Liz West.

Our Colour Reflection is an immersive artwork by Liz West that combines vibrant colours and radiant light, creating a captivating sensory experience. Opened during Wakefield’s Our YearLight Up festival, the 18th-century Chapel was be filled with endorphin-boosting light during the darker winter months.

The artwork is made from hundreds of mirrored discs in a rainbow of colours that carpeted the Chapel’s main space. Set at different heights, they captured and emitted natural and artificial light, reflecting architectural details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Changing through each day, the reflections responded to the weather and light quality outside.

Liz West went to school in Wakefield, and worked as a gallery invigilator at YSP during her holidays from art school. Her work draws on colour theory, the way we perceive and understand light, and how it affects us psychologically. She has drawn inspiration from artists such as Dan Flavin and Olafur Eliasson, as well as James Turrell, whose Deer Shelter Skyspace at YSP she has visited over many years.

Our Colour Reflection was supported by a Culture Grant from Wakefield Council and Our Year, a year-long project of creative activities across the Wakefield District. The artwork was originally commissioned by 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, North Lincolnshire in 2016 with support from Arts Council England.

Live from the artist's studio: Liz West in conversation

Liz West Products

Browse the Liz West collection at YSP Shop.