A new mural trail of powerful new artworks by Scottish Black and Asian artists can be found in towns and cities across Scotland In response to recent international outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter, Scotland’s Black and Asian artists are stepping up. As part of a Scotland wide Black Lives Matter Mural Trail, artworks are being displayed on multiple arts venues and sites including several in Glasgow. Art is powerful and at a time when all Scotland’s venues are closed for the foreseeable future, they are still able to help artists showcase their voice by offering their walls, windows and doors to be used for this dramatic, vital statement of support for Black Lives Matter. The artworks – colourful, challenging, moving, powerful and diverse – inspired by various themes, have been be created in a variety of media including paint, photography, video and digital art, in a wide range of styles, including fine art, street art, text, illustrative and abstract. The artworks on display in Glasgow have been predominately funded through the support of local Glasgow residents through crowdfunding. With a number of the murals being community designed including the Govanhill Youth Project mural and the soon to come Garnethill Community Centre mural. The artists involved in the national BLM mural trail come from a wide range of backgrounds, some trained, some self-taught, combining youth and experience, individuals and artist collectives – all uniquely talented. All large scale and hard to miss! Wezi Mhura Curator & Creative Producer
Cover image artwork by Neda Ghaffar, photographed by Steven Khan Currently installed at King’s Theatre on Bath Street as part of BLM Mural Trail
2
Artwork from Beats of War, created by Etienne Kubwabo, currently displayed on the windows facing Bogbain Road at Platform. “With Beats of War we wanted to tell something fresh, a story about Glasgow. We don’t really have black superheroes here in Scotland and I was excited for that to change.” Etienne Kubwabo
3
THE FACE MASK Wearing my mask reminds me of the 3 Wise Monkeys See no evil Hear no evil Speak no evil This is because… My glasses steam up My hearing is affected (busy cleaning glasses) And I am unable to speak clearly (mask covering mouth) I continue to wear my mask Even with these problems I’d rather be safe with my mask And protect against COVID-19 Be safe everyone B.G. ./ ]n- FA.r {V1Fd. r.--'
s' F.
\) 4
a,,ql
Nl\€-
4
(-<
\
*1
5Ltr
r.u\.\ w\ A:'v*
'fAa 3 .\o
\-3t38-
fir-i t ;
Q-av^r
N\s.*kL
A CITY A poem is a city, oh what can it be Are the buildings all full of life we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see Are the people indoors, in my mind I can see Lots of people and children with no thought of me I hear voices and laughter and sounds of glee All those people living free, oh what a vision That would be. Life is for living for you and for me Margaret Steele
5
r-t
t\=*st*1 , cn f,tqrc^\art b- b<_ {4,A{/T"re} lrr"<
I liked *ctV-etZ Angela’s poem, it was funny and I liked the drawings in Rena’s and Kit’s(+t piece about handbags fi^4 drawing of the $<a( and George’s ".^rr(^ Cocksparra to go with the poem was good too.
goi0 hzw \
q.-"f
V\nScc c.,; H,y,4 crrd J^,S er,z4't {Vi^gr{" '
rt Lru.\qthA.
I’m a bit annoyed at the cinema closing again. It’s not just me, it’s the people that work in it, what if they don’t open again? V..r- Vu E€_n\ej vr&-p: Va^r \ rw ,rrzh G,rkl I’ll keep going with my music and films and different things. @r"\\1/Lty S. c^ uJ<-<- ct\e-- \,-yfla^rt {VfurS ()r €r\ktv gung4 I’ll stay as positive as I can, stay safe YEE ALL!
'L \
(i
^jty
t uz".E/ rb & L g.^< V*r W *rtc\J cv,Id vq, Susan Milligan
\nus S'taII.J (.\r.-f u{- [Aa [4cu|u?* . t I t( S-ro-a Pr-s<,h,,rg c^8 \ Ccry t'}<z^-t 9c-+<- jgE TIrLL \ ,/1/L
il'\c.4"/(
rl4
,"--t'
l-.- t{1,a^
/Lr*\
9rn'xnq
9
qr,A
w-Ea Another lock down Really miss my friends from the Clack and Yak I have not seen them this week. My husband Gordon has a new pal called Eric the Squirrel Every morning he feeds him with nuts. Margaret Wood
6
b
t
a
f
o
a
o at
t a
oa I
e
o a
tr
ooo aa
a
a
7 Janis Donnelly
a
o
a
o
a
o
.o
aa
oa a
BELOVED BLACK Black is the absorption of all visible light You are the sea at night You are the hands that hold the stars in those early, wakeful hours of parenthood You are hope
Black was the first pigment used in art You are charcoal soft You are ancient stories handed down, whispers woven through spacetime You are the first
Black is the absorption of all visible light Shadow-friend You are the space that mourns the stars, trust and trusted, shelter from storms You are love
8
Black was the first pigment used in art You are a poem Boundless tones of ink dancing, across papyrus pages, weaving word-magic You are deep joy Black is the absorption of all visible light Eyes closed, Let yourself be wrapped in an unexpected embrace from a old friend All pigments mixed together create Black Elemental You are the lively night, in raining forests, gifting breath Your revolution revolves around an axis: a raised fist Quilted in memory, you resist Black is the absorption of all visible light You are life You are the scattered dust of stars, full-spectrum, generating the cosmos throughout spacetime You are a gift
Jeda Pearl Lewis
9
Angus, Charlie + Florence
10
Mary Mullan
11
I
*
Vn,
ti?-r\
# 1{
I
o
u
N]
*t
ool-a
{f,e
\V'\
oq*
! t*H,r Su,;
tlv- H"3 1 ,
q3
I
\_l
r \,u[*
il,ar'/rtvnn
OL\ \ I^/-1
'!l J
.ao \
'L
ea
Cu= \)
TONGUE TWISTER Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew. While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew. Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze. Freezy trees made these tree’s cheese freeze. That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze. Taken from Fox in Sox by Dr Seuss Submitted by Anonymous
12
Itq, fi$
I\Rer
t
F
il
:-
:
'
i,
..:::+::-i,;3ai.;
'--fr;'r::; --J
?
F,4
:/
t
,t/
- ,-t
* .
I
r
rs ! :i
;
&
rt
I can’t say many good things about lockdown but contributing to this newsletter is one of them. Here’s a joke for you… A man was driving down a country lane and ran over a cockerel. He apologised to the farmer and said “I would like to replace him’ “Please yourself” came the reply “The hens are round the back” Rena Quinn
13
Artwork by Rachel Dallas, photographed by Dode Allen â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the mural above is currently installed at the Rum Shack on Pollokshaws Road. The mural below can be found on Kilmarknock Road and the image on the right is installed on the wall of Govanhill Youth Club in Carfin Street.
14
15
AUTUMN Autumn leaves are slowly falling rustling gently Colours changing day by day Children running, chasing, laughing to and fro in glee They’re all gathering horse-chestnuts today To make their conkers for their play Chirping birds they gather berries Strangely that’s their food today Now the wind is gently blowing Colours mix in mellow flow On the water autumn’s shadows reflect On glistening frosty ripples below In the fields the children gather Pumpkins for their Halloween lanterns Families walking in the Autumn mists Halloween will soon be here Listen to the children cheer Margaret Steele
16
{t* P Lr* ,lrr* I lw B*trr*h wA,vs ,B*u l"ll or i,r$
f,lr*J" Hr*i.
lB
7
)
E.HENRY
17
\
/
, !
,/ -----r-_.-
\--<t7<-\
,f /
A
r-1 -'-' L
r_r trl
l-l i-l L/-*'
a
t=l
n
--__-__ ---
cq I\r 18
s-tlT rs
4
f tfrc
E"
Rob Haughie
u
t
o
ffi (a
\J
-e \] \
$
SJ
\,/) \-,
Nl
is
C
Anonymous
19
MISSING CAT FRA ROON OOR BACK Has anybody seen that wee ginger cat fra roon oor back? NAW?? Mabee his mum’s kept him in, OR mabee he’s just away winchin If you see him gonny let him know that I miss him so, That should bring him running… …Still nae sign of the wee ginger cat frae roon oor back, His pal has come roon to guard his pitch He’s doing that without a hitch, Aw they wee Birds!! Know how they feel, Me, I can only stand and squeal as they try to dodge that cat. He’s bouncing them aff the stoney grun Feathers flying in the sun, He knows just when to pounce, calculating every ounce, Picking the one’s that’s fat and juicy, He’s a fly one this wee pussy, The wee ginger cat wisney fly He’d stare them straight in the eye Before he pounced. He didnae care if they were fat He’d just grab them And that was that. Annie Love
20
Steven Khan Currently installed at Theatre Royal on Hope Street as part of BLM Mural Trail
21
k
ES
d
a
v
Kit McKeown 22
k
(
&
?
\?
t
{
& Tq.
'4
t
o
i.,,
'B> ;.'\ :-aa-
6+\
s
s Gr-
b.0
GB
a
/
--
L(s
irs
â&#x201A;¬-
{ -
=
+.}s $ -s QJ
Yu
rcd t....--v LI-J aa
23
qJ
\J ql
Rob Haughie
Neda Ghaffar mural installed at Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre on Bath Street, photographed by Steven Khan as part of BLM Mural Trail
24
Artwork by Naya Mwtembe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; photograph by Dode Allen Currently installed at the Glee Club, Renfrew Street as part of BLM Mural Trail
25
r,l -l}
t\
h
? t ,\
$
r. IfD
B \
tt
r, IT rt ->
b.
?
f ;
!
t'
?
t ::,i-
t t
I
t
If
I
i
13
,,\
I
\
Ir
e
a ;* f * a .*? .i F -,
26
tD
o*
3 et L'
Tommy Sherry
27
Elaine Fisher
28