Arpita Shah - Portrait of Home
15th May - 24th June 2023
Flow Photowall @ Eden Court Theatre
Bishops Road
Inverness IV3 5SA
Portrait of Home is a collection of photographs of families based in Scotland who also have cultural roots in other Commonwealth countries. This work acknowledges Scotland’s links to the Commonwealth, visually representing how migration between these countries has shaped the national and cultural identity of contemporary Scotland.
This exhibition sees 8 portraits from a larger collection selected by the artist for this exhibition in Inverness. The project celebrates Scotland’s rich diversity, exploring how it continues to be home to a wide variety of cultures and communities. Each portrait in the series reveals not only aspects of the sitters and their relationships with each other, but also the experiences and histories these families have shared in Scotland.
The project was originally commissioned by Creative Scotland and first exhibited as part of Street Level's city-wide project Commonwealth Family Album, as part of the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme in 2014. The exhibition in Inverness is presented in partnership with FLOW Photofest.
Arpita Shah (b. 1983, Ahmedabad, India) is a photographic artist based between Eastbourne and Edinburgh, UK. She works with photography and film, exploring the intersections of culture and identity. As an India-born artist, Shah spent an earlier part of her life living between India, Ireland and the Middle East before settling in the U.K and this migratory experience is reflected in her practice. Collaborating with individuals and families across the UK from diverse cultural backgrounds, Shah’s work centres on exploring notions of home, belonging, migration and memory. Her major solo show 'Nalini' will be exhibited at Duff House, Banff, Aberdeenshire, in 2024.
Images: © Arpita Shah
