This Separated Isle

This Separated Isle explores how concepts of ‘Britishness’ reveal an inclusive range of opinions and understandings about our national character. Based on the book Invisible Britain: This Separated Isle, initiated and curated by Paul Sng, it features a diverse range of fascinating photographic portraits of people from across the UK and their accompanying narrative stories. This timely and pertinent exhibition examines the relationship between identity and nationhood, revealing not only what divides us, but also the ties that bind us together as a nation.

Even as COVID-19 made a seismic impact across the world, the cracks exposed by Brexit, Black Lives Matter and rising levels of race hate crimes revealed bitter divisions in British society. In the aftermath of the pandemic, and with questions over the breakup of the United Kingdom refusing to dissipate, how do people across Britain choose to navigate the tensions in this divided land?

Featuring Adeola Adeko, Alecsandra Dragoi, Alicia Bruce, Amara Eno, Andy Aitchison, Arpita Shah, Chris Leslie, Christine Lalla, Ciara Leeming, Faraz Pourreza-Jorshari, Fiona Yaron-Field, Gina Lundy, Ilisa Stack, Inès Elsa Dalal, Jim Mortram, Jenny Lewis, Joanne Coates, Kat Dlugosz, Kate Nolan, Kirsty Mackay, Kris Askey, Lisa Wormsley, Maisie Marshall, Marc Davenant, Margaret Mitchell, Marie Smith, Mario W. Ihieme, Mark Parham, Nicola Muirhead, Rhys Baker, Robert Law, Roland Ramanan, Sally Low and Dr Yan Wang Preston