Hillhead Library, Glasgow.
Artist talk: Arpita will give an overview of her work on Sunday 18th January at 2pm.
Portrait of Home is a collection of photographs of families based in Scotland who also have cultural roots in other Commonwealth countries. This work celebrates Scotland’s links to the Commonwealth, visually representing how migration between these countries has shaped the national and cultural identity of contemporary Scotland.
The exhibition comprises images of families from the Shetland Islands, to Stirling, to here in Glasgow. Some of them have been settled in Scotland for up to four generations, and others include family members who arrived just in the last few years.
Portrait of Home represents the family unit, something which we can all identify and connect with in various ways. Shah herself is India-born and Scotland based, and home is a reoccurring theme in her work. Here she has focussed on the family because of its intrinsic connection to one’s sense of what home is, and one’s identity.
Portrait of Home celebrates Scotland’s rich diversity, exploring how it continues to be home to a wide variety of cultures and communities. Each portrait in Shah’s work reveals not only aspects of the sitters and their relationships to each other, but also the experiences and histories these families have shared in Scotland.
Arpita is an established visual artist and arts community facilitator who has collaborated with a variety of communities around Scotland. She has exhibited internationally and has been involved in several artist residencies and community arts project around Scotland. This includes residencies at Street Level Photoworks, Ankur Arts and on The Albert Drive Project. Her work was also recently featured in Cambodia as part of the Angkor Photography festival, and was also exhibited in Pondicherry, India.
'Portrait of Home' was commissioned by Culture 2014 and was included as part of the Commonwealth Family Album which took place in various sites across Glasgow during the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Hillhead Library, 348 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8AP. T: 0141 276 1617.
Opening times: Monday - Thursday 10am to 8pm; Friday & Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 12noon to 5pm.