Eye-catching art at eye-opening exhibition

The Archer Project's Wish You Were Here! exhibition at Sheffield Cathedral is set up to mirror a seaside gift shop's entrance – a doorway to understanding the raw realities of homelessness and rough sleeping.

Curated collaboratively by ID8 Photography, people with experience of rough sleeping and the Black Eye Project, artists Corbin Shaw, Conor Rogers, George Law, Liah Edwardes, Mikk Murray and Rob Barber created work including imagery of used coffee cups to stand as powerful symbols of the struggles faced by these individuals.

There are also giant photos of postcards designed by Black Eye Project with people's messages to friends and family written on the back about their experiences of rough sleeping in places from the doorway of the Showroom Cinema to Hillsborough Park.

Award-winning Sheffield-based artist and poet Conor Rogers, who painted a subway and tent onto a disposable cup, said he got involved in the project as he had done a lot of work around similar social issues and themes in the past.

He said: “Usually there's a lot of labour involved in my work but this was was a new process for me because of time constraints.

“It wasn't as restrictive and it felt quite free and natural.

“It was instinctive.”

Jim Lobley, founding partner at branding and design company Black Eye Project, added: “This is the second exhibition we've worked on for the Archer Project and we wanted it to be very special, to bring people through the doors and get them engaged.

“This isn't about selling products – this is about challenging and changing people's perceptions |(around homelessness) and that's a much bigger responsibility.”

Wish You Were Here! Is on at Sheffield Cathedral until tomorrow (Friday, September 22).