Decibel a north West profile
Скачать 207.78 Kb.
|
decibelA North West profileContentsAcknowledgements and index 1 Foreword 2 Introduction 3 The artists 5 The arts organizations 22 Arts Council England contacts 36 Useful publications 37 Acknowledgements and index Edited and coordinated by Ngozi Ikoku Thanks to: all the artists and arts organisations Africa Oye 22 AWAD 23 Benji Reid 5 Black Arts Alliance (BAA) 23 Chaturangan 24 Chinese and West Cultural Exchange 25 Chinese Arts Centre 25 Circle of Literary Friends 26 Clement Cooper 6 Company Fierce 27 Cultural Fusion 28 Cultureword 28 Dinu Li 7 Donna Berry 8 Halima Cassell 8 J Chuhan 9 Juliet Ellis 10 Junko Mori 11 Kuljit Chuhan (aka. Kooj) 12 Kwong Lee 13 Levi Tafari 13 Liverpool Yemeni Arabic Club (LYAC) 29 Milap Festival Trust 30 Miso’shi 14 Multi Asian Arts Centre 30 Multi Culture Poets 31 Nina Edge 15 Osun Arts Foundation 32 Peshkar Productions 33 Rais Academy 34 Segun 16 Shamshad Khan 16 Shisha 34 Sonia Hughes 17 SuAndi 18 Suki Chan 19 Sundar Kanta Walker 20 The Singh Twins 21 Urban Voice 35 Arts Council England, North West staff, especially Aileen McEvoy, Claire Hoang, Eunice Toh, Jane Beardsworth, Julie Leather, Michael Eakin and Paulette Clunie Eg.G Jo Cartwright and Dom Raban Foreword The Arts Council is committed to ensuring that the arts are at the heart of our society. That means two things in particular. Firstly, we aim to ensure that our very best talent is able to fulfil its potential; to create an environment in which established and new artists are supported and valued. And secondly, we want to ensure that everyone in our society is able to engage with the arts, whether as artist, audience, or participant. A fundamental part of fulfilling such a vision is ensuring that the arts truly reflect all our communities. Everyone in our society is entitled to be able to enjoy the arts. And attaining the highest quality of arts in this country is dependent on ensuring that anyone with talent can develop and exercise it. So, embedding diversity in all that we do is of fundamental importance. And a key priority is to develop opportunities for Black and minority ethnic artists and communities; to ensure that their creativity is allowed to flourish and that the arts in England truly reflect and celebrate their place in our society. In our planning, our expenditure, and programmes of work, we are ensuring that this priority is properly reflected. We are also clear that we as an organization need to learn and to change. We now have a national Race Equality Strategy, and central to that is ensuring that the Arts Council itself truly reflects the society for which it works. Nationally and regionally we are developing action plans to that end. decibel was a key national initiative aimed at raising the profile and strengthening the opportunities for artists in England of African, Caribbean, Asian or Chinese descent. Both nationally and regionally decibel has been a very important and productive strand of work. It has sat alongside, and helped stimulate further work, all of which is aimed at ensuring that cultural diversity is integral to our work, and to the arts in this country. This book is just one part of our extensive programme of decibel work in the North West, work that will continue. It illustrates the quality and talent we have in the region in a way which I hope you find both interesting and of practical benefit. And, above all, I hope it helps in our aim to continue to grow the sector, and the arts generally, in the North West and beyond. Michael Eakin Executive Director Arts Council England, North West Introduction Arts Council England’s major national initiative, decibel (May 2003–March 2004), was a short-term project designed to have a long-term impact on raising the profile and strengthening the infrastructure of culturally diverse* arts in England. Now in its official legacy period (which will run until 2008) decibel continues to provide focus, additionality and resources to help redress the historical underfunding and lack of support for artists of African, Asian, Chinese and Caribbean descent based in England. decibel: A North West profile forms part of this continued positive action work and it is with great pleasure that we present to you this publication which is dedicated to promoting culturally diverse arts from the North West. The book celebrates and profiles, for the first time, a selection of 40 of our flagship culturally diverse artists and arts organisations with whom we have had a relationship over the past three to five years, alongside those that are relatively new or emerging. All those featured are making a significant contribution to arts practice and provision regionally, nationally or internationally in the field of music, dance, theatre, the visual arts and literature. One of the highlights of the decibel year was the 2003 decibel Performing Arts Showcase in association with x.trax, which took place in Manchester. The strategic aim of the event was to increase the amount of culturally diverse performance including theatre, dance, music, street arts, live art, puppetry and other cross-arts with live content being programmed in a wide variety of national and international venues. The North West was very well represented in the 2003 showcase, which bears testimony to the wealth of talent in our region, and some of the artists showcased are featured in this book. A second x.trax/decibel showcase, building on the success of the one in 2003, will take place in Manchester from 31 May–3 June 2005. The publication is a result of feedback from artists during the decibel year. Inside, the artists and arts organisations speak for themselves about the essence of their work and future aspirations. There is much work still to be done around cultural equity in the arts, and decibel has provided a catalyst for this. We hope this publication helps to move us one step further to realising our goals in the North West region. While we have tried to include as many Arts Council England funded organizations and individuals as possible, this is not an exhaustive guide to the culturally diverse arts sector in our region. By bringing together those featured in one reference guide we aim to promote and raise awareness of the work of the artists and arts organisations and to make it easier for you to contact them. It is also our intention that the book provides invaluable insight into the wealth of diversity, creativity and expertise that lies within the North West. We trust that you will find this publication a useful tool when you are looking for an artist or arts organisation for your programming and project-based work. And we hope that you too will develop professional relationships and shared experiences with the artists and arts organisations listed within this book. We commend them to you. Ngozi Ikoku decibel Project Manager Arts Council England, North West *In the context of decibel, the term ‘culturally diverse’ means ethnic diversity resulting from post-war immigration, with an increased focus on artists of African, Caribbean and Asian origin in England. Asia refers to the continent from Turkey to Japan. The artists Benji Reid Born 1966, Manchester Solo dance artist, devisor and director Artist’s statement: ‘I am a performance artist using the language of body popping, mime, storytelling and live music, utilising modern day folklore (hip hop) to tell the stories of the human condition. The essence of my work is to explore the two worlds of dance theatre and hip hop using the traditional methods of theatre and imbuing them with the lens of hip hop. Replacing the traditional roles of musical director with a DJ and scriptwriter with a MC/poet, with the aim of creating a modern language that no longer alienates working class people but becomes a reflection of their plight.’ Selected work: Reid has performed and toured his work internationally. 13 Mics, codirected with Jonzi D, 2003 B Like Water, written by Lemn Sissay and codirected by Reid and John McGrath, 2003 The Pugilist, 2002 The Waiting Room, 2000 Aeroplane Man, written by Jonzi D and codirected by Reid, 1999 Paper Jackets, 1999 Contact details: Agent: Lisa Eaton Studio 11 Aire Street Workshops 30–34 Aire Street Leeds LS1 4HT Phone: +44 (0)113 243 6314 Email: lisa@benjireid.com Website: www.benjireid.com Clement Cooper Born 1965, Manchester Visual artist Artist’s statement: ‘I’m certain of the profound truth. When you’re born, you almost know and feel everything. Incredible! The progression through life soon strips you of that innocence. So utterly sad. Anyway that’s what I’m all about as a man: getting back, through the medium of light, to that original state of being. Nothing more, nothing less. Everything I am is light. Everything to my mind begins with light. I realised that fact from the age of three, standing in that kitchen in Longsight beneath the window, feeling and looking at the rays from the sun, just the certain things it spoke.’ Exhibitions: Cooper has exhibited widely within the UK and abroad. His photography exhibition Sisters, supported by Gallery Oldham, Manchester City Art Gallery, The British Council and Arts Council England, will be shown at Gallery Oldham from 4 December 2004–31 January 2005, and will then tour the UK. Contacts details: Clement Cooper Email: clement869@aol.com Agent: Autograph, the Association of Black Photographers 74 Great Eastern Street London EC2A 3JG Phone: +44 (0)20 7739 8748 Website: www.autograph-abp.co.uk Dinu Li Born 1965, Hong Kong Visual artist Artist’s statement: ‘My interest in photography began at an early age while spending time with the arrangement of my family portraits. These I grouped and displayed on walls and between glass tables. My work often delves into my own history, culture and identity. Originally trained as a photographer working for advertising and design agencies, I expanded my practice in 1998 by working as an artist. My views are expressed through the medium of photography, film, video and installations. As an artist, my work is preoccupied by an observation of changes, brought about by the passage of time. I have adopted an ongoing strategy in addressing social agendas in a way that has a universal value, both on an emotional and intuitive level. As a diasporic artist, I am interested in the postcolonial interpretation of the ‘third space’ dealing with such issues as homeland/guest land and native/foreigner.’ Exhibitions: Li has exhibited his work in the UK, Europe and China. Showings include: Art Forum Berlin, White Space 798 Beijing, Shanghai Art Fair, Liverpool Biennial, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, and Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester. His work is published in a selection of catalogues including As If I Were A River, CITE 2003, which accompanied an exhibition of the same name which showed at Bury Art Gallery and Museum from 26 July–20 September 2003 and at The Lowry, Salford from 2 August–26 October 2003. Contact details: Dinu Li Phone: +44 (0)161 872 2048 Mobile: +44 (0)7976 270128 Email: info@dinuli.co.uk Website: www.dinuli.co.uk Donna Berry Born 1966, Birmingham Visual artist Artist’s statement: ‘Practically, my approach to sculpture has continued to evolve; conceptually, its concerns are expanding in area but the approach remains constant: the continued exploration into our ephemeral relationships, the subtle shifts in personal, social and global culture that we catch like shadows in the corner of our eyes, almost imperceptible but relatively rapidly changing. My practice continues to test the water where the boundaries are blurred, eclectically teasing out the humour of the commonplace while blending more fanciful notions with an underlying discomfort. The issue base of my work leads to a constant search for new materials and methods thus each new piece is a source of revelation and new awareness.’ Solo exhibitions include: Carbon Dating, Liverpool Independent Biennial 2004, Boodle and Dunthorne, 18 September–29 October Toast 2003, Building Design Partnership, Liverpool, 3–31 October 2003 Solo, Pushka restaurant, Liverpool, October 2002–January 2003 Contact details: Donna Berry Studio 12 36 Seel Street Liverpool L1 4BE Phone: +44 (0)151 708 8336 Mobile: +44 (0)7870 268315 Email: donna@donnaberry.com Website: www.donnaberry.com Halima Cassell Born 1975, Pakistan Sculptor Artist’s statement: ‘I am an artist, designer and maker based in Manchester. I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2002 with a Masters degree in 3-dimensional design. My artistic practice incorporates the influence of both Islamic and African art, which enables me to develop contemporary ceramics based on architectural elements and forms. With my style firmly established I now have plans to work on an increasingly larger scale and move more towards public art and architectural work.’ Exhibitions: Cassell is currently working on a programme of national and international exhibitions. Solo shows to date include: Architectural Ceramics, Portico Library and Gallery, Manchester, 5–28 May 2004 Exhibtion celebrating International Women’s Week, Blackburn Museum, 21 February–24 April 2004 Contact details: Halima Cassell 39 Newchurch Close Blackburn Lancashire BB2 3DP Phone: +44 (0)1254 583 764 Mobile: +44 (0)7817 053308 Email: info@halimacassell.co.uk J Chuhan Born 1955, Punjab, India Painter and Professor of International Art at Liverpool John Moores University Artist’s statement: ‘I am engaged in expressing ideas through the painterly language of colour and form, aiming at a visceral expression of the sensuality of the human figure and natural forms. My paintings portray my response to the appearance, personality and inner life of people who have posed for me as models, and explore ideas of intimacy and sexuality, strength and fragility. My paintings focus on the individuality of people, as in my Parampara Portraits solo show initiated by Shisha. In Sanskrit ‘Parampara’ means tradition as it is passed between generations and my paintings show a non-stereotypical perception of 15 people from the South Asian diaspora, rarely reflected in western art exhibitions or collections, exemplified in portraits of people including writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown and the politician Baroness Pola Uddin.’ Exhibitions: Chuhan has exhibited her work internationally. Solo exhibitions include: Journeys, Cartwright Hall, Bradford, 4 December 2004–6 February 2005 Parampara Portraits: paintings by J Chuhan, Central Art Gallery, Tameside, 8 January–28 February 2004, Watermans Arts Centre, London, 21 October–3 December 2004 A long way from home…a painter’s journey, The Lowry, Salford, 2002 Contact details: J Chuhan Liverpool School of Art and Design Liverpool John Moores University 68 Hope Street Liverpool L1 9EB Email: j.chuhan@livjm.ac.uk Juliet Ellis Born 1969, Sheffield Director, performer and live art practioner Artist’s statement: ‘I am an artist. I make theatre, happenings and events. My work is characterised by its haunting yet beautiful atmospheres, creating images that are visually compelling, evocative and disturbing, juxtaposing strange harmonies, which leave a sublime residue creating a world beyond language that seduces the eye of the watcher. My underlying personal exploration resides in continuing to make challenging and provocative art, art that asks questions and fuels dreams, that searches for purity, truth and candour, and arouses a curiosity, questioning the nature of performance that crosses the borders between disciplines and examines our human existence.’ Selection of works: Weeding Cane (by Sonia Hughes), designed and performed in, 2004 A Hurricane is Coming, 2003 Under My Skin, 2001 Hang Up, performed in and devised with Third Angel, 1999 Ellis is currently Artist in Residence at the Greenroom, Manchester, where she is developing Autobiography in 5 Chapters, which will launch in Autumn 2005. Contact details: Juliet Ellis Greenroom 54–56 Whitworth Street West Manchester M1 5WW Phone: +44 (0)161 236 6980 Mobile: +44 (0)7958 512623 Email: julietellis@gothere.uk.com Junko Mori Born 1974, Yokohama, Japan Metalwork artist Artist’s statement: ‘My work consists of multiples of individually forged steel or other metals, and the subtle difference of each piece results from hand hammering. No piece is individually planned but becomes fully formed within the making and thinking process. Repeating little accidents, like a mutation of cells, the final accumulation of units emerges within this process of evolution. The uncontrollable beauty is the core of my concept. I hope that my objects become highlights in a contemporary minimal space as catalysts of a new decorative art.’ Selected exhibitions: SOFA, Navy Pier, Chicago, USA, 4–7 November 2004 H.A.T international jewellery exhibition: UK tour from November 2003, showing at Urban Splash, Timber Wharf, Manchester 14–29 October 2004; Australian tour from 2005 Chelsea Crafts Fair, Chelsea Town Hall, London, 12–17 October 2004 21st Century Art + Design Fair, Armony, New York, USA, 8–13 October 2004 Made in Britain, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, 30 July–11 September 2004 North+South, Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, 24 July–21 August 2004 Offshoot, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, 3 June–25 July 2004 Contact details: Junko Mori Amp Studio Lamb Court 142 Chapel Street Salford M3 6AF Mobile: +44 (0)7961 365259 Email: mail@junkomori.com Kuljit Chuhan Born 1960, Punjab, India Video and digital media artist Artist’s statement: ‘Like most people, I am always thrilled at being able to suddenly see the links between one observation or experience and another, rather like a detective realising the hidden link between two events or characters. Through my work around the dislocations of the globe and their causes, I try to combine aesthetic and technological means to make those links apparent and to find simple metaphors in which to frame them.’ Exhibitions: Chuhan has a particular interest in migrant and Black art, activism, and grass roots production. His work has been screened, exhibited, and published internationally and includes: Resonance, installation shown at ISEA (International Symposium on Electronic Art) Paris, 2000 From Punjab to Football, video for Manchester United Football Club, 2001 Boundless Sky, a touring 3-screen Asian dance installation, 2002 Terminal Frontiers, moving image installations for Virtual Migrants with Keith Piper, 2002 Contact details: Kuljit Chuhan Phone: +44 (0)161 865 4167 Fax: +44 (0)870 122 1916 Mobile: +44 (0)7971 415191 Email: kooj@kooj.net Website: www.kooj.net Kwong Lee Born 1969, Hong Kong Visual artist, projects organiser, and Director of Castlefield Gallery, Manchester Artist’s statement: ‘I am a visual artist based in Manchester. I use my Chinese cultural background as a position to question the dogma of authenticity and to engage with affinity and difference. My art practice focuses on two main themes: issues surrounding immigration, and food as a medium for communication. I am interested in the first because people have always moved irrespective of borders and the latter because cultural specific food crosses boundaries easily.’ Selected exhibitions: Artranspennine 03, 23 May–16 August 2003 Making it, Manchester City Art Gallery, 2002–2004 Travelogue, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 22 June–22 September 2002 Big Screen in Little China, Leicester Square, London, 17 February–17 March 2002 Neo Metamorphosis, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, 14 April–13 May 2001 4 Person Show, Gallery Sudo, Tokyo, 12–26 December 2000 Contact details: Kwong Lee Phone: +44 (0)161 226 5513 Email: handscooking@yahoo.co.uk Levi Tafari Born 1960, Liverpool Poet Artist’s statement: ‘I see myself as an Urban Griot travelling life’s road documenting these times poetically. I want to continue to express myself artistically, to communicate with others in the hope of inspiring a new generation of performance poets, and to bring forth a message of unity.’ Poetry collections: Tafari is an internationally renowned writer and performer who has worked across the UK, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, America and the Far East. He has published three highly successful collections of poetry: Duboetry, The Windows Project, (1987, 1988, 2001, 2002) Liverpool Experience, Michael Schwinn (1989) Rhyme Don’t Pay, Headland Publications (1993, 1999) His fourth collection From the Page to the Stage is to be published in 2005. Contact details: Levi Tafari 16 Dombey Street Liverpool L8 5TL Phone: +44 (0)151 709 5585 Email: levi@tafari.freeserve.co.uk Miso’shi Born in Ghana Storyteller Artist’s statement: ‘I am an African artist in education. The essence of my work is using the art of storytelling to share experiences of diversity with my race – the human race.’ Published work: Miso’shi has a long established arts in education career. Her work includes delivering storytelling programmes for performance featuring story, music, dance and art in schools and in the wider community, for example in prisons, hospitals, museums and galleries. Miso’shi’s publications include: Morning in Ghana, a dance pack published in the 1990s by Primrose Publications, Monkey and Shark, a storytelling project video and notes pack for schools, Suspended Animation 1999, and Feel the Rhythm, a body sounds pack, Miso’shi 2000. Contact details: Miso’shi Efua Fiadogbe-Procter 85 The Farthings Astley Village Chorley Lancashire PR7 1SH Phone: +44 (0)1257 278 745 Email: misoshi@aol.com Website: http://members.aol.com/misoshi Nina Edge Born 1962, Bournemouth Visual artist Artist’s statement: ‘The information rich culture in which my work is produced appears to have reduced what can be known of the world via its centrally organised communications systems. As an artist I am driven to see the communication cat amongst the pigeons. I make observations and transmit them visually, creating discourse amongst silence. The work I produce is designed to be understood by broad audiences. Thus it exploits factory production, commonly found objects, performance or hand crafted elements as appropriate to the ideas in question. This might involve a narrative approach or a visual treat. By exploiting the existing status of objects or ‘truths’ the viewer finds an easy route to interrogate existing bodies of information.’ Selected work: Edge has exhibited her work internationally. In the 1980s she showed alongside Mona Hatoum, Lubaina Himid and Zarina Bhimji in the seminal race and gender survey exhibitions. She has worked extensively in education and with Tate Liverpool, and has recently produced an acoustic guide programme for their exhibition The Secret History of Clay: From Gauguin to Gormley, 28 May–30 August 2004. Edge is currently working with camouflage, producing a series of large maps and outerwear. Contact details: Nina Edge 40 Kelvin Grove Liverpool L8 3UE Phone: +44 (0)151 726 0348 Mobile: +44 (0)7971 472707 Email: edge@nedge.u-net.com Segun Born 1967, Leeds Singer, poet, producer/composer, playwright, film-maker and club promoter Artist’s statement: ‘I transcend division by any means necessary. I am a tool of God. Lock all your doors! The essence is love and confusion and oranges on a step. My quest is to find out who the hell I am (or was when I started looking).’ Current work: In July 2003 Segun was appointed as North West Regional Coordinator for Apples and Snakes, the UK’s long established poetry organisation, where he continues to develop spoken word activity across the North West region. He is also currently writing commissions for the BBC Radio 4 project Text to TX, and the Eclipse Theatre Laboratory project, and producing Nyam Nyam, an album of Nigerian hip hop and rhythm and blues. Contact details: Segun Lee-French Greenroom 54–56 Whitworth Street West Manchester M1 5WW Phone (home): +44 (0)161 232 8380 Phone (work): +44 (0)161 615 0528 Fax: +44 (0)161 615 0516 Email: segungun@yahoo.com Website: www.darkjazz.net/segun Shamshad Khan Born 1964, Leeds Poet Artist’s statement: ‘I am a poet performing with silence, music and new technologies. The essence of my work is to use words to move myself and the audience from where we are to somewhere else.’ A selection of performances/readings: Megalomaniac, Greenroom, Manchester, October 2004 and touring UK during November 2004 Hard Cut, a poetic monologue, 2003 Bones, international conference of women live performers, Berne, Switzerland, 2003 Asia on the Road, tour of Denmark, 2003 Published works: The Woman and the Chair, a short story, Virago 1994. Poetry in anthologies include: Poetry of Rebellion, Manchester Festival 1997, The Firepeople, Payback Press 1998, Bittersweet, Women’s Press 1998, Healing Strategies for Women at War, Crocus Books 1999, Longman’s GCSE Poems for your Pocket, 1999, anthology of British South Asian poets, Redbeck Press 2000, Velocity, Black Spring Press 2003 Contact details: Shamshad Khan Mobile: +44 (0)7786 816173 Email: shamshad@khan2k.freeserve.co.uk Sonia Hughes Born 1965, Luton Writer Artist’s statement: ‘I work primarily as a writer but also perform and create visual environments for my work. I love working collaboratively with other artists and participants. I am always interested in themes, which involve complexity and love. I’ve got a lot to learn. My work is sensuous, rich and flawed. My aspirations are to produce much more of my own work. My ultimate commission is to work with a group of artists and participants over a long period of time to create a piece of work which has to be beautiful, scary and honest.’ A selection of plays and performances: A Son Like Mine, BBC Radio 4, August 2004, Weeding Cane, directed by Wyllie Longmore, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, May 2004, Life in the Hinterland, directed by Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa, Contact Theatre, Manchester, April 2004, Reverberations, Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool, October 2003 Contact details: Sonia Hughes Phone: +44 (0)161 256 1234 Email: soniahughes65@hotmail.com SuAndi Born 1951, Manchester Performance poet and Cultural Director of Black Arts Alliance Artist’s statement: ‘I like to call myself a poet because the word has such hidden depth. Being a poet has allowed me to be a novelist, playwright, live artist; even write opera. I can use poetry when I am speaking at conferences. I can share words ideas with young people from knee high to grey toppers. I love that it has such a strong link to my ancestry, the African oral tradition, and fits so neatly on the page right here in 21st century Manchester. Why on earth would I want to be anything different when I can be what I am, a poet and a SUSSEDBLACKWOMANCELEBRATINGLIFE?’ Performances: SuAndi has been a performance poet since 1985, and in the 1990s she turned some of her attention to the live art stage. She tours nationally and internationally, and her last ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) commission The Story of M, 1995, received critical acclaim in the UK and North America. In recent years SuAndi has made annual trips to the United States where she takes to the stage, hosts workshops and is a popular international guest speaker at conferences. She marked the new millennium with her first libretto based on the life of Mary Seacole and staged at Covent Garden, London. Contact details: SuAndi 369 Barlow Moor Road Chorlton Manchester M21 7FZ Phone: +44 (0)161 283 1661 Fax: +44 (0)161 283 3427 Mobile: +44 (0)7788 817978 Email: suandi@blackartists.org.uk Website: www.blackartists.org.uk//suandi Suki Chan Born 1977, Hong Kong Visual artist Artist’s statement: ‘As an artist working with rice, I am interested in the notion of migration and displacement. I use rice as a symbol of our aspiration for a better life. Via installation, moving images and sound, I explore ways to evoke a sense of movement (attraction/repulsion) that appears to be omnipresent, perpetual but silent. The essence of my work is about narrating the passing of time. With speed and slowness, we access a plethora of differing realities and spaces. How does this accumulation of experiences affect our notion of individual identity and sense of belonging? As well as continuing to develop my practice, my aspirations are to establish links with artist-led initiatives around the world, exploring the role of an artist as a curator and instigator.’ Exhibitions: Chan has exhibited her work internationally. Solo exhibitions include: Shadows, Old Seager Distillery, Deptford X, London, 2004, The Story of Rice, Upriver Loft, Kunming, China, 2003, Shadow Songs, Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool Biennial 2002 Contact details: Suki Chan Mobile: +44 (0)7818 044238 Email: info@sukichan.co.uk Website: www.sukichan.co.uk Sundar Kanta Walker Born 1944, East Punjab, India Painter and writer Artist’s statement: ‘My Indian and Scottish connections and Buddhist beliefs are central to all my artwork, and continue to provide me with new visions and perspectives. In my paintings, I try to infuse the spirit in light and colour in a meditative style and bring out the spiritual archetypal energies that are the basis of all great religions. I use colours in all their purity in bold brush strokes to reach the ephemeral beauty and fragility of the planet I inhabit. My hope is that I would stay healthy, happy and solvent to continue to expand and enrich my earlier works and continue to excel in my art. I would also like to be seen as making a significant contribution to the international art scene in the 21st century.’ Exhibitions: Walker has exhibited her work internationally. Selected exhibitions include: Green Door Open Studios, Kendal, July 2004 2D, Brixton Art Gallery, London, 16 January–17 February 2004 Annual Grasmere exhibition, 4–18 October 2003 Sundar Rang, MP Birla Art Gallery, London, 19 August–2 September 2003 Enduring Earth, Jubilee Hills Centre, Hyderabad, India, 28 November 1999–2 January 2000 Sanjherang, Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore, Pakistan, 1–31 December 1989, toured in UK in 1990 Contact details: Sundar Kanta Walker The Studio 7 Morecombe Bank Grange Over Sands Cumbria LA11 6DX Phone/fax: +44 (0)1539 532 224 Email: kantawalker@hotmail.com Website: www.artsk.org.uk The Singh Twins Amrit and Rabindra KD Kaur Singh Born 1966, London Visual artists Artists’ statement: ‘We define ourselves as British contemporary artists working in a Past Modern style [as opposed to Post Modern] that combines elements of western and eastern aesthetics and asserts the value of traditional and non-European artforms to the continuing development of Modern Art. It’s a definition that not only asserts the right of all artists to define their own cultural and artistic individuality in a way that is meaningful and true to who they are, but redresses the need to reevaluate established cultural definitions, values and role models within the wider context of an evolving global society dominated by western consumer markets and popular culture. Our art and established practice of working and exhibiting together (as well as dressing identically) is a political statement against the hypocrisy of an establishment which advocates self expression as the be-all and end-all of Modern Art, yet denies the validity of anything which does not comply with the expectations dictated by a selective, Eurocentric perspective. But ultimately, our artistic strategy is defined by a sense of responsibility to look beyond personal issues of identity towards exposing wider cultural prejudices and highlighting other concerns of more global significance. One aspiration for the future therefore is for an art establishment and society which one day will truly transcend cultural barriers in the criteria and methods it adopts for promoting, recording and evaluating cultural and artistic work and achievement.’ The Singh Twins are internationally renowned artists, and their award winning paintings have been acknowledged for initiating a new movement in the revival of the Indian miniature tradition within contemporary art practice. Their work is featured in two books: Twin Perspectives, Twin Studio 1999 and Past Modern, Southampton Institute 2002. Selected exhibitions: Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab, five-year loan of three works to Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, USA, from July 2004 Past Modern: paintings by The Singh Twins, an international touring exhibition to Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Mumbai in India, 15 November 2002–31 May 2003; California, USA, 2 September–6 December 2003; Toronto, Canada 11 January–29 February 2004 EnTWINed, UK touring exhibition from March 1999–April 2000 Contact details: The Singh Twins Email: twinstudio@hotmail.com Website: www.singhtwins.co.uk |
