Crafted Selves: The Unfinished Conversation

Curated by Cat Dunn and programmed by Fife Contemporary, the upcoming exhibition Crafted Selves: The Unfinished Conversation showcases the work of 13 Scotland based artists exploring dual identities in their work.

The exhibition will showcase artists Adil Iqbal, Alberta Whittle, Ashanti Harris, Eden Dodd, Emelia Kerr Beale, Harvey Dimond, Joy Baek, Li Huang, Rae-Yen Song, Sara Pakdel-Cherry, Sekai Machache, Tilda Williams-Kelly and Viv Lee.

Crafted Selves: The Unfinished Conversation takes its title from a continuing discourse between curator Cat Dunn and the 13 Scotland based artists featured – What does it mean to have a dual identity, and how is this sense of self reflected in work being made by Scottish craft artists today?

Working in sculpture, painting, ceramics, textiles, installation, moving image films and creative writing responses, the artists all in some way carry a dual identity. Many have a sense of their own self born from having a cultural heritage which is both Scottish and one which is rooted in another cultural home. The show also explores other dualisms and expressions of identity, including artists who express their, sexuality, disability, or trans and non-binary selves through their work.

As a Bajan-Scottish artist turned curator, Cat Dunn brings her unique understanding of what it means to maintain a dual-identity, the challenges that can be faced as an artist of colour, as well as the strength it can bring.

“Being dual identifiable carries a sense of pride and strength. While there can be sorrow and pain, there is also joy. Having a dual identity can be used to celebrate one’s social identity, or it can be used as a platform to express and teach others what life can be like from a different perspective. I am incredibly proud to merge my two cultures as it makes me unique.” – Cat Dunn

As part of the exhibition, the Scottish premiere of Alberta Whittle’s film The Axe Forgets, But The Tree Remembers will be screened at The Byre Theatre, St Andrews on the 17th January. The film features the stories of the Windrush generation and their descendants. Weaving together the experiences of her own family, stories sourced from Hackney Archives and conversation with the borough’s Windrush residents, Whittle’s film highlights the animosity experienced by those who first migrated from the Caribbean to the UK.

Image credit: Emelia Kerr Beale, trust for support, 2022. Install view at French Institute. Photo Sally Jubb Photography.