Introduction

This exhibition features thirteen artists living and working in Scotland, featuring many craft and visual artworks, from ceramics to textiles, paintings, and installation elements.

These artists experience and live with dual identities. At least part of their identity is ‘othered’ - made to feel different or marginalised from parts of society because of their race, gender, disability or other cultural experience. They express this experience through their work and find a way to reclaim and feel pride in the excluded part of their culture and identity.

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

Dual Identity means navigating geographies imposed on you by others, whether real or imagined. It is others dictating whether you ‘belong’. It exists on the surface in multiple places but can never form deep and stable roots. Nevertheless, it also means having access to a multitude of cultures and the ability to feel comfortable and make meaningful relationships in an array of places across the world. Dual Identity can often be fraught with negative connotations, yet artists have used their lived experiences to create artworks with joy.

The research for this exhibition investigated how each artist dealt with the negative and positive connotations associated with having a Dual Identity and how this is shown through the lens of craft and visual art.

Crafted Selves : The Unfinished Conversation invites you, the audience, to become part of the conversation.