How do you choose to answer the question “Where are you from?”

As we slowly come back to ‘normal’ living and we are no longer nervous to visit public spaces I have found myself enjoying the art world first hand (not through the social media screens) meeting artists and discovering what they are working on at present.

Two incredible exhibitions inspired me greatly to write about in this edition. One was ‘Prelude’ by Kehinde Wiley at the National Gallery with its hugely inspiring 6 screen film concentrating on identity, displacement and how one can connect with nature. The latest hot off the press is ‘Otherlandz’ curated by Chantelle Purcell and Renin Bilginer.

“From the ashes of an old world, changed by collective trauma comes an opportunity for new voices and perspectives to be heard. With growing global tensions, humanitarian crises and continued social stasis, we find ourselves lost in a post-apocalyptic space of reflection and uncertainty, bringing forth conversations surrounding displacement, identity, and womanhood. This exhibition gives voice to a group of UK based women artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, to explore these themes and how they exist in this place we call home. Curated by Chantelle Purcell and Renin Bilginer, what initially started as a conversation about their experiences of growing up with mixed heritage backgrounds in London, gave rise to a need to delve more into issues surrounding identity, belonging, assimilation and womanhood, questioning; what does it mean to exist as a multicultural woman in Britain and how do we preserve a relationship with our diasporic origins? This exhibition is part of an ongoing series delivered through a rhizomatic programme of pop-up shows and accompanying workshops, which seeks to provide visibility for women artists from diverse cultural backgrounds. Exhibiting artists include; Alya Hatta, Chantelle Purcell, Eve De Haan, Imogen Patel, Kathy Bailey, Maddalena Zadra, Natalia González Acosta, Renin Bilginer, Tayo Adekunle.

This exhibition is supported by Devonshire Square.

Image credits
Kahinde Whiley – a still from ‘Prelude’
Chantelle Purcell – ‘London is the place for me’