“We are delighted to have received this funding and to continue our work with Jerwood and their Collection. It will enable us to build on the wonderful Kindred Spirits exhibition held at the Harley Gallery in 2021 which included works from Jerwood and Outside In collections curated by our artists.”
MARC STEENE, DIRECTOR OUTSIDE IN
CONTENTS
Introduction
Words from Pauline Bailey, the Course Tutor
Words from Pamela and Corrine, the Course Assistants
Words from Charlotte Graham-Spouge, Step Up Programme Manager
Words, quotes, artwork and inspiration from the course participants; Chiara Grant
Corrine
Gayatri Pasricha
Helen Grundy
Katharine Wade
Lesley Sherrington
Pamela Schilderman
Sarah Fortes-Mayer
Sew-N-Sew
Thank yous
Image credits
Images of artists from final meet up
STEP UPEXPLORING COLLECTIONS
Exploring Collections is a ten-week course providing participants with the skills to research and interpret works of art. In each session, participants received training and support to develop skills in researching their chosen area, theme or artist, and professional guidance on how to interpret what they have researched.
Supported by Outside In’s experienced staff and course tutors, artists who have faced significant barriers to the art world, have been able to meet other artists and explore the Jerwood Collection in a way that was most appropriate and impactful to them. Access needs are often a barrier to artists attending formal courses, which has led to a lack of diversity in particular roles within the arts sector.
Through this course, Outside In has able to support marginalised artists as they enter the creative economy, which in turn contributes to the diversifying of the sector’s workforce. Through the expanding Step Up training programme, Outside In endeavours to challenge traditional values and institutional judgements about whose work can and should be displayed, as well as breaking down barriers to employment for the most vulnerable and excluded members of society.
Artists on the course have focussed particularly on researching and responding visually to the Jerwood Collection. The Jerwood Collection of Modern and Contemporary art gives public access to a privately-owned collection and enhances the understanding and enjoyment of this period of British art. In 1993 the first work, a painting by Sir Frank Brangwyn RA, was bought for the collection by Alan Grieve (Chairman Emeritus, Jerwood). The collection, which is owned by Jerwood Foundation, continues to grow with new acquisitions and donations and is widely accessible through loans to national and international institutions and inclusion on a number of digital platforms.
Jerwood Collection is a Founder Partner of Art UK, the online home for art from every public collection in the United Kingdom. Jerwood Collection holds a significant number of paintings, works on paper, sculpture and prints by British artists such as Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Barbara Hepworth, John Piper, Stanley Spencer RA, Barbara Walker and Rose Wylie RA. The full collection can be viewed on Art UK and is available for loan. www.jerwoodcollection.online
“I really enjoyed delivering this course as it was such a pleasure working with the group of artists who fully engaged in all activities. It was gratifying to see how diverse their responses were to both the weekly sketchbook activities and how everyone’s confidence blossomed. Everyone has been so positive about the course and its impact on their arts practice where most expressed that it took them out of their comfort zone, encouraging them to view things from a different angle or explore a different medium not tried previously.”
“The Jerwood collection is so vast and while at times this seemed overwhelming, overall, it was good to have so much choice of works to explore. It also meant that there was something for everyone and the resulting outputs can potentially be varied. As a facilitator it was inspirational working with this group because there were so many good ideas and all the artists had very interesting practices despite the barriers.”
PAULINE BAILEY, COURSE TUTOR
“I have most enjoyed following the creative journeys of individuals in the group. It has been a pleasure working alongside Pauline and Corinne; I have learned a great deal from them both... The biggest learning for me in terms of the group has been the many alternative ways to respond to an artwork. I have learned from individual participants... I liked doing the sketchbook exercises it loosened me up, got me to try new methods, work quicker and stop over analysing; I think they’ll be useful to return to when I have an artist block... This course has really helped me to open up my practice, to give it a boost and share it with others.
As a result, I feel more confident as a facilitator.”
PAMELA, COURSE ASSISTANT
“I’m so thankful Outside In allowed myself and Pamela to share this role. I’ve wished to be a Course Assistant for a long time, but my barriers of fatigue and bed confinement prevented me from applying. Bed confinement is isolating, but working with Pamela, who I met in 2022 during a Step Up Course makes me feel part of a team and less alone. I learnt lots and hope in the future to progress to a Course Leader role.”
CORRINE, COURSE ASSISTANT
“This grant will enable us to run two new Exploring Collections courses. These courses will allow participants and Outside In artists to gain unique access to both the Jerwood and Outside In collections, develop research skills and make creative responses. Outside In provides a platform for artists who encounter significant barriers to the art world due to health, disability, social circumstance, or isolation and these courses enable artists to take the next steps into a career within the arts sector.”
CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-SPOUGE, TRAINING PROGRAMME MANAGER,
Thanks to generous funding from Jerwood Foundation, award winning art charity Outside In has been able to deliver an Exploring Collections training course to delve into the expansive Jerwood Collection. Here, the nine artists who took part in the course explain their research interests, the artwork from the collection that spoke to them and how they reinterpreted these pieces.
ARTIST CHIARA GRANT
Chiara Grant is a multidisciplinary artist and practitioner, mainly concentrating her art on paint works mostly in acrylic. She has exhibited in Midlands mostly in Coventry and Warwickshire, has been an artist in residence at St Johns Church, Fleet Street and has sold a few paintings to private buyers. In the light of every adversity Chiara keeps aiming to strive forward, being strong in character and big in personality, always aiming to be her best at every opportunity. Chiara suffers with long term health problems but loves and is inspired by her father, mother and brothers’ will for her to keep working through the hardest of times. Chiara paints characters from her imagination, abstracts from her heart and loves colour. Expression and repetition help her produce works.
CHIARA GRANT INSPIRATION
WHISHAW, FLOWER PIECE
NEAR WINDOW CEDRIC LOCKWOOD MORRIS, BLACKBIRD AND FLOWERS
Chiara was inspired by Elisabeth Frink, Anthony Whishaw and Cedric Lockwood Morris from the Jerwood Collection. Her works express themes of home, containment and need, freedom and entrapment. Chiara has had a fight with her health and has battled with her moods and mental health for years which can stop her from doing what she’s made to do.
Chiara likes building ideas in layers from the first brush stroke to the last pen point mark.
When her work is at its best Chiara’s strong lines dramatise the figures. She hopes that you can see some good coming from bad and sad experiences in life and loves people to be happy when they look at her work, hoping to provide a happy place for people to go. Chiara wishes it wasn’t so bad rather a comedy of errors.
“I have learnt to look more closely. I have learnt to engage more with my fellow artists. I have learnt to do some new exercises which I will use when I get stuck.”
Sarah Fortes-Mayer, Exploring Collections participant
“It was a privilege to watch the group grow in confidence, be inspired by the Jerwood Collection and see the fantastic work everyone produced.”
Corinne, Course Assistant and Exploring Collections participant
ARTIST CORINNE (THEY/THEM)
Corinne is a disabled, queer self-portrait artist and curator, producing art from the same 2 by 1.5 metre space; their bed. Primarily a photographer, Corinne’s self-portraits laden in symbolism, explore confinement, fragile health and queerness. They’ve been ill since childhood, and for the last six years voices (Auditory Hallucinations) forbid them from leaving bed. Their only childhood and imaginary friend “Daisy” is central to their practice. To escape childhood trauma, Corinne and Daisy created Daisyland, a magical Utopia
they entered through a Fairy-Door on their bedroom wall. Daisyland inspired their Arts Council DYCP project ‘Daisyland: A Queer Utopia and Curatorial Platform’. The biggest barrier to developing their career is their inability to be physically present; the rise of virtual working, a result of the pandemic, temporarily removed this barrier. From bed Corinne undertook remote residences with Outside In/The New Art Gallery Walsall, Talking Birds, Level Centre, QUAD and ArtRiot Collective. Corinne curated ‘Taking Flight’, an exhibition of Outside In’s Collection at Paradise Row Gallery, London. They discussed art on BBC Radio 4 and is featured in the book
‘Outside In: Exploring the margins of art’. Corinne’s desire to push boundaries resulted in exploring the possibilities of performance. This year, ‘live-streaming’ from bed, Corinne became the first person ever to perform remotely at The Lowry Gallery, Manchester. Corinne’s life and art have become inextricably entwined, to bury their struggles deep within would allow them to thrive, but through the use of art as therapy, Corinne is offered a cathartic release.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/corinne
instagram.com/corinnesdiary
CORINNE’S INSPIRATION DORA CARRINGTON
“Prior to the course I had strong knowledge of the Collection, gained as a participant on Step Up Curating Exhibitions course 2022. Dora Carrington’s 1913 self-portrait spoke to my Gender-fluid identity. Carrington presented herself wearing men’s clothing and cutting her hair short which challenged the gender norms at the time.
Through research and reading Carrington’s Letters, edited by Anne Chisholm, I learnt how much I relate to Carrington, in particular our gender expression and LGBTQIA + Identity. As someone who struggles with Dyslexia it was interesting to learn Carrington is thought to have had mild Dyslexia.
I created this self-portrait sitting up in bed, the place I’ve been confined to for six years. Carrington’s gender expression in Self-portrait, 1913 inspired me to cut my long wig short. I have a hair pulling disorder which developed when my periods first began as a teenager. As a child I longed for a moustache and was upset when mum explained I wouldn’t be able to grow one. I think Carrington would have appreciated a moustache too. The inclusion of Forget-menot flowers both remind me of my childhood wish and signify the importance of remembering the lives of LGBTQIA+ people like Carrington.
I’m currently reading ‘Carrington. A life’ by Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina and hope this will inspire me to produce more Carrington inspired self-portraits.”
DORA CARRINGTON, COURTESY OF JERWOOD COLLECTION, OUT OF COPYRIGHT
“Happiness is in small amounts but it’s a together thing and it should be appreciated and rewarded.”
CHIARA GRANT, EXPLORING COLLECTIONS PARTICIPANTS
ARTIST
GAYATRI PASRICHA
Gayatri is a professional graphic designer formally trained in Singapore and currently based in the Midlands, UK. Having worked in marketing for four years and studied Philosophy and Economics, she feels her background gives a unique perspective to the Arts. She endeavours to make work that is ‘playful, but not frivolous; researched, but not complicated; subtle, but not obscure.’
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/guy3
guy3.myportfolio.com
PASRICHA INSPIRATION
“My artwork is inspired by Catherine Yass’ Safety Last 8 prints and Outside In artist, Exodus Crooks’ installation, A message from my ancestors, which were both displayed at the Ikon Gallery. I was inspired by Yass’ prints which showcased stills from a silent comedy, I then looked at past iconic movie archives from the Hindi film industry. I took inspiration from an iconic poster of Mother India and recreated that colourfully and abstractly. I then added the words, which were a play on the statement ‘don’t you know who my father is!’ to ‘don’t you know who my mother is!’. I laser cut these on plywood to bring a more tangible element to the whole piece.”
“I liked doing the sketchbook exercises it loosened me up, got me to try new methods, work quicker and stop over analysing; I think they’ll be useful to return to when I have an artist block.”
Pamela Schilderman, Course Assistant and Exploring Collections participant
“I believe that the participation in the course has been a very positive experience... I was fascinated to see the work of other artists and hear about their practices and the process we shared about our making journey. We could share ideas and inspire each other.”
Sew N Sew, Exploring Collections participant
ARTIST HELEN GRUNDY
Helen Grundy is an object maker and digital collage artist who also incorporates drawing into her practice. She is a workingclass contemporary artist and manages two supported living services in Birmingham, helping homeless people find a home. She is fascinated by the phenomenon of nostalgia and how bittersweet it is. She considers her artworks to be souvenirs from her life. She graduated from The Birmingham School of Fine Art in 2004 and exhibits both nationally and internationally. She has received funding from The Arts Council to deliver various projects and was awarded funding to develop her practice in 2022.
She was selected for the exhibition Twenty Twenty at New Art Gallery Walsall in 2022 and had work acquired for their permanent collection. She was selected by Lubaina Himid in collaboration with Round Lemon to create a billboard for Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City, with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and The Arts Council. Currently, Helen is learning to be a printmaker and to animate so she can create a new body of work.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/helen-grundy/
HELEN GRUNDY INSPIRATION
JAMES FISHER I LIVE IN FEAR
“I responded to the painting I Live In Fear by James Fisher. I was drawn to the work because of the strong use of surface pattern and how that completely transformed the subjects. I have looked at a lot of his work since the project began and I was really impressed with his use of vivid colours, and this was the inspiration for me to play more with colour. In I Live With Fear the viewer is witnessing an exchange and there’s a sense of being a stranger or witnessing something that is none of your business. I like the idea of the viewer being a witness but not necessarily understanding what is being shown.
I wanted to do something new for this project and I decided to introduce drawing into my work. I often work purely digitally so wanted
to push myself to do something new and I spent a long time feeling uncomfortable as wasn’t happy with my drawings for several weeks. I decided to explore my Welsh heritage as both of my parents came from Wales and this was a chance to explore notions of being between two places as a child, Birmingham and Wales and at times not really knowing which place was home.
I have always loved Welsh tapestry fabrics, so I started adding these to digital images and then started looking at old photos of Welsh women in traditional costume and noticed that the women in the photos were
always busy, spinning and knitting, as if they never had a moment for themselves.
I wanted to add bold patterns to these traditional costumes, so my drawings have a lot of pattern, colour and are very bright. I decided to digitally add my face to all of the women in the final piece as a way of demonstrating how I feel connected to these women and how I am a continuation of their lives. In the final piece the women are knitting hearts, a reference to women being at the heart of the home and the community.”
“The course reignited a spark, which was dwindling in the last few months.”
Katharine Wade is an artist and illustrator based in Birmingham. Over the past ten years, she has primarily worked as a digital artist. However, since joining Stirchley Print Works in the winter of 2023, she returned to printmaking. She is drawn to themes such as the everyday, the mundane, and data collection. She loves creating and appreciating art that celebrates the ordinary and the experiences of daily life. Additionally, she has a particular interest in text-based art and portraits.
Lately, she has been focusing more on selfportraiture and introspection, striving to practice self-love rather than her usual tendency to concentrate on external factors.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/katharine-wade/
KATHARINE’S
INSPIRATION STANLEY SPENCER,
DIG FOR VICTORY
“The most enjoyable element of the course was... going in directions that I never expected... I didn’t expect to produce traditional art, using colour and my own self portrait, all of which are very alien to me.”
Katharine Wade, Exploring Collections participant
“The impromptu sketch book activities were a nice way to use your creative muscles.”
Lesley Sherrington once lived in a cave, and discovered that whilst she could live without things, she could not live without beauty. She started travelling at a young age, long distances for long periods of time, finally settling down with a family of her own in Venice, Italy. It was only when returning to the UK that she started to paint later in life. Although from as long as she can remember she was creating something, from sewing fabrics and knitting to making dolls and teddies for her little sisters, to the beautiful paintings that she enjoys painting today.
ARTIST
LESLEY SHERRINGTON
She is always excited to start a blank canvas, knowing that she will be creating a beautiful painting that someone will enjoy for years to come.
Lesley worked in design for many years and is a trained oil painter, She has also taken various courses in acrylics and watercolour. She enjoys painting local landscapes, oversized blooms on large canvasses and pet portraits. She is constantly learning and evolving as an artist and has gathered a wealth of information over the years. This artistic knowledge, together with her
experience as an interior design consultant, helping customers to create a cohesive colour scheme, etc., has given her the ability to advise and help others with their art.
She has lived in Twickenham for many years and cycles down by the river almost daily, often stopping to sketch and paint. She exhibits and sells work locally and is keen to expand her artistic creativity in the future. Painting is something she is passionate about and gives her great joy, something she is keen to pass on to others.
LESLEY
“I chose this painting to respond to as I was inspired by the loose style, the rich colours, and the emotional depth of this painting. I particularly like the way the paint has been applied, leaving the painting open to interpretation. I responded emotionally to this painting, I love its warmth, character and its vibrancy. Every time I look at it, I see something new, which leaves me wanting to know more. I find it exhilarating!
I studied every painting in the Jerwood collection and changed my mind several times about the painting I wanted to respond to. Again and again, I returned to Christopher Farrell’s Cydonia. It fascinates me with its contradictory landscape, with what I perceive to be a hot sunny landmass, below a dark night sky, with a bright cloud to one side. Like the landscape, my perception of this artwork is steadily evolving. Of course, it could be a landscape with a building, but that’s the beauty of art, it’s a personal perception. Very little is known about this painting and so it is open to interpretation.
A swathe of cinnamon gold reminiscent of a hot earthy red, coupled with a chaotic mix of cool rich tones of teal blues, greens and turquoise complimented by hints of yellow ochre. A warm splash of creamy off white to one side commanding attention and drawing you in.
A rich, luscious landscape, earthy and seductive. This painting feels familiar, like a memory of a hot sunny day under a blue
sky, the warmth of the sun on my face and the cool night air on my skin. It reflects my feelings of joy, in the celebration of the landscape, drinking in this life force created by nature. I want to know what inspired the artist to paint it, did he feel the same emotional response to the landscape that I did? What was his connection to this particular landscape when he painted it?
Having very recently been in North Yorkshire and Northumberland for a couple of weeks, I took photographs, and created quick impromptu sketches. Inspired by the heightened colours of the landscape in Cydonia. I did sketches of buildings within a landscape, including ancient derelict buildings, taken over by nature and therefore becoming a part of the natural landscape around it. I sketched the interior of a steam train station, both friend and foe to the landscape. Friend, because trains open up the landscape for anyone to visit and enjoy, foe, because of the tracks cutting into and scarring the natural beauty of the landscape.
I felt a real connection between Cydonia and the Northumbria. I was born and raised in the Northeast of England and have memories of the beautiful landscape, reflected in the mood that Christopher Farrell’s painting evokes. I feel that the artist would understand my response to his painting. He is inspired by the urban landscape and how cities evolve through time, my sketches were inspired by how manmade structures blend with and serve the landscape.
I feel that my journey with Cydonia is not yet done and there is more inspiration to come!”
“I have really enjoyed the course and I have gained a great deal from the weekly meetings. I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone and have really fallen in love with drawing and plan to do more and want to make works that are just drawings with no digital additions but that is a work in progress as I strive to develop a drawing style I am really happy with.”
HELEN GRUNDY, EXPLORING COLLECTIONS PARTICIPANT
ARTIST PAMELA SCHILDERMAN
Pamela Schilderman is a Dutch-Brazilian artist born in Rotterdam in 1982. She lived in Rwanda before moving to the UK at the age of five. Since graduating from Goldsmiths University, London in 2004 she has exhibited nationally and done residencies in France, Holland, Wales and Finland. Pamela’s mixedmedia practice is influenced by science and, whether painting, sculpting, or drawing, she challenges preconceptions through definition and choice of media. Through repetition, she explores themes of identity and individuality.
She was recently shortlisted for the Zealous Amplify Environment Award 2024. Notable achievements include: the France Brodeur Young Artist Award, CuratorSpace and AN Artist Bursaries. Her recent project EcologyNOW about animal conservation was funded by Arts Council England and exhibited at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, Warrington Museum and Art Gallery and The Lapworth Museum of Geology, Birmingham.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/pamela-schilderman
pamelaschilderman.com @pamelaschilderman
PAMELA SCHILDERMAN INSPIRATION
HALIMA CASSELL
“I have dealt with the themes of identity and alternative portraiture in previous artworks such as Casket. When I began studying the Jerwood Collection in depth, I had planned initially to do this in response to Eliot Hodgkins’ painting ‘Pink and White Roses’ by using flowers synonymous with my Dutch/Brazilian nationality. As the course progressed, I decided to take a more relaxed, open approach, and I became influenced by discussions in the group around the subjects of identity, heritage and language even expanding on certain sketchbook activities around language and negative space. I decided to revisit 3D Drawing, a concept from early on in my career in response to ‘Kirigami’ and ‘Shiraz’ by Halima Cassell. Her work felt architectural (my parents are both architects),
angular and geometric so I used the scalpel to depart from my usual organic approach. An important side of my practise involves recycling, and I took the printed postcards from Casket to create these new 3D drawings. I began with form first and foremost before experimenting with text using Letraset and printing. It then struck me that should I add a particular shade of green paint then I would have all the colours of the Brazilian flag. Delft blue is instantly recognizable as Dutch so, using blue biro, I meticulously drew the pattern of a family heirloom onto Mixed and Other. It seemed apt that these 3D drawings could be displayed in any number of ways, that they reveal and conceal since aren’t we all continually evolving, complex beings.”
“I loved meeting everyone and discussing my future and arts future and my connection to art and the art world and art works on display.”
Chiara Grant, Exploring Collections participant
“I have learnt from the course not to worry so much, to actually have a go and try out different things...”
Sarah Fortes-Mayer, Exploring Collections participant
ARTIST SARAH FORTESMAYER
Sarah’s work creates a new perspective and appreciation of the older body. She is fascinated by the ageing female form, using her own body as the site of experimentation, creating moulds from her own shape. In today’s world beautiful, young bodies dominate and in sculpture it has perhaps always been the case. Sarah attempts to redress the balance focusing attention on the aged female form, that has its own beauty. She uses many different materials from wax to bronze. Recently, she used extruded polystyrene foam; used by the building trade to fill holes it is a material barely noticed- a state common to older people in Western society. The foam captures minute details, lines,
creases, and folds giving an exact replica of the body in unforgiving detail which itself is subject to decay and damage.
Sarah’s journey started late, gaining an MA First class honours degree in fine art from Birmingham City University (1914) when aged 65. Since then she has exhibited in the West Midlands, Sotheby’s London, Glasgow, and Hove Museum of Creativity. Outside In found and enabled Sarah to continue exhibiting, giving her encouragement to
keep going during the caring of her husband, and in return she agreed to become an Ambassador and further their tremendous work. Inspired by Ralf Brown RA, who stated “Make what you want to make, and ignore everyone else”, she does this in abundance, prepared to shock and bring the audience into an ageing world. She loves making art.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/sarah-fortes-mayer
SARAH FORTESMAYER INSPIRATION HENRY
MOORE, GIRL WITH ONE ARM
“I’m making figures of my own body and other materials and working with wire and clay and trying to make whatever I make to look like bronze...”
“It
was a privilege to watch the group grow in confidence, be inspired by the Jerwood Collection and see the fantastic work everyone produced.”
CORINNE, COURSE ASSISTANT
ARTIST
Sew N Sew’s exploration in photography and collection of contemporary archaeological markers informs the development of ideas into final textile and multi-media pieces. She uses techniques such as appliqué, sculpture and mark-making with thread or on metal. Her practice is socially engaged, involving public collaborations in a variety of formats such as confessionals, drop boxes, social media observations and, more recently, postal collaborations where the participants are asked to donate text that describe their personal states and reactions to questions posed.
Her own personal practice seeks to comment on contemporary and social issues, through theme and use of found textiles and found objects. This is a metaphor for the discarded and obsolescence that is part of our consumer culture. But also an investigation into identities assumed through our personal constructs as a result of the effects of media, circumstances beyond our control and social media platforms.
outsidein.org.uk/galleries/sew-n-sew/
PAUL JOHN TAYLOR BOMBED BEIRUIT
“I have made two pieces inspired by looking at Jerwood Collection as part of this course. “The Archaeology of Stitched Resistance” is to be exhibited at the Raveningham Sculpture trail. Then there is the piece “Who will care for Omar Mahmoud Hamad? Who will care for the displaced children of the world?” which is to be displayed at the Bute Street film festival in Luton Hat Factory.
The works that inspired the making of these pieces from Jerwood Collection was Bombed Beirut by Paul John Taylor. The elements from his work that inspired me were the themes of politics and conflict, tone, subject of the destroyed buildings, colour and shape. I am interested in pattern making too by James Fisher, who uses many geometric patterns from domestic fabric which is a similar influence in my own practise but a different nuance. Also, outside the collection I have explored the work of Andre Robillard’s readymade Brut art guns and the work of Natalie Baxter whose work called Fluffy Guns and Flags was interesting to look at but concerned with domestic gun crime in America.
“The Archaeology Of Stitched Resistance” is made of recycled cans in the shape of the star quilting pattern and is embossed with the stitches of Ukrainian and Palestinian Tartreez embroidery. It looks at the use of symbols and motif as a vehicle for the story telling of cultures under oppression. The symbols repeat in poetry and myth that are part of a centuries-old connection to land. When distinctive cultures are under pressure from hostile colonial forces and there is erasing of physical symbols of the indigenous culture such as schools, theatres, universities, mosques, historic buildings, there is a great need to have transfer of cultural traditions through recollection and narrative. Stitched symbols that represent the land, food, fauna and flora can tell the silent cultural heritage and is a more ethereal way of passing on culture when physical assets of culture are destroyed by war.
The wearing of embroidered clothes such as the Vyshyvanka and Tartreez embroidered clothes are acts of resistance by oppressed people. Different embroidered motifs tell the tale of culturally significant items such as the circle for sun, the trees of life, diamond with a dot, the sewn field, the olive branch, the spiral for water, tears, the triangle amulet, chickpea and raisin, feather, palm, old man’s teeth, the chevron meaning femininity, the sunflower or nightingale,
the fishing net woven in a Keffiyeh scarf, the triangle for a amulet, and the fence.
With the presence of illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid, Tatreez became a female-led resistance movement that advocated for the true narratives of history and identity. Through needle and thread, Tatreez stitches the story of Palestinians, which is irrefutably rooted in the land, creating the fabric of identity and resistance against the forces that seek to erase it.
“Who will care for Omar Mahmoud Hamad? Who will care for the displaced children of the world?”
This piece is dedicated to all the NGOs who deliver humanitarian aid locally and internationally. It is specifically dedicated to the members of the World Food Kitchen killed while setting up aid distribution in Gaza. The Aid Worker security database said that as of March 2024 196 had been killed delivering aid to Gaza since the start of the new war. The children are impacted hugely by the war, affecting every aspect of their life. Aid workers deliver medical aid, drive lorries, raise funds, evacuate the sick, deliver toys, set up logistics and even clowns and entertainers give respite from the relentless misery of trauma and a childhood
lost. When our collective humanity is failing and politicians fail to find solutions, it is the NGOs who go into areas, to give the population around the world some relief.
My practice is textile-based assemblages, hangings, installation and mixed media soft sculpture portraits. My practice investigates identities assumed through our personal constructs as a result of the effects of media and social platforms, and are an observation of contemporary culture. I use the ephemera of the home and the craft of the feminine as my medium. I have produced this piece as part of a course of study with Outside In, where we interpreted a piece of work from the Jerwood collection and produced a piece of work in response. For this piece I have researched news reels and the Facebook page of fellow Outside In artist Laila Kassab who delivered humanitarian aid in Rafah, so the portraits of the children could be made. I made clothes for them from the photos and gave them toys, pans and water carriers. As it is the children who wait in line when the humanitarian aid is distributed. The whole of Gaza being reliant on the work of the NGOs because they are the only institutions that go in conflict zones or when a state is failing.”
THANK YOU
ARTISTS:
Chiara Grant
Corrine
Gayatri Pasricha
Helen Grundy
Katharine Wade
Lesley Sherrington
Pamela Schilderman
Sew N Sew
Sarah Fortes-Mayer
COURSE TUTOR:
Pauline Bailey
TCOURSE ASSISTANTS:
Corrine
Pamela Schilderman
FUNDER:
Jerwood Foundation
Helen Grundy, Psychedelic lady, from the series
Welsh Psychedelia, Collage, 2024
Gayatri Pasricha, Process, 2024
Katharine Wade, 1, 2024
Katharine Wade, Sketchbook 5, 2024
Sarah Fortes-Mayer, Sketchbook, 2024
Pamela Schilderman, Other, 2024
Lesley Sherrington, Garden, Cyanotype in tumeric, 2024
Chiara Grant, Home #1, A4 landscape acid free paper, 2024
Chiara Grant, Home, board and acrylic and fine line pen. 15 x 15cm, 2024
Chiara Grant, About a bird, A4 drawing, 2024
Chiara Grant, Untitled tile design, 15cm x 15cm, 2024
Chiara Grant, Home #2, A4 landscape acid free paper, 2024
Chiara Grant, Sketchbook work, watercolour and pen, 2024
Chiara Grant, Coventry is for everyone, AI generated image, 2024
Chiara Grant, Bird on top of the world, 15cm x 15cm
