Too Rich a Soil
Arpita Shah, Maryam Wahid & Nilupa Yasmin
The New Art Gallery Walsall
15th November 2019 – 19th April 2020
GRAIN in collaboration with The New Art Gallery Walsall presents an exhibition which brings together three photographers, Arpita Shah, Maryam Wahid and Nilupa Yasmin whose practices are rooted in the exploration of cultural identity.
Together they present new and existing work focused around portraiture, culture and female identity. Through making work both about and in collaboration with their families and communities, these artists celebrate the rich and varied roles of women in society.
This exhibition provides an opportunity to expand upon narratives around the Asian diaspora and in particular the roles and identities of women.
A selection of works from Shah’s series ‘Purdah – the Sacred Cloth’ will be shown; which presents contemporary women based in the UK from a variety of South Asian backgrounds who chose to practice traditions of head covering or veiling. West Midlands based Wahid and Yasmin will create new work. Wahid’s portraits of women encountered in Pakistan, aim to recognise and celebrate women’s contribution to the economy and society. Yasmin’s self-portraits, with their multi-layered and manipulated surfaces, will reflect upon femininity and cultural identity.
Preview: Thursday 14 November, 6-8pm, all welcome.
Image © Arpita Shah, Purdah (Niqab), 2013