COMMUNITY MATTERS
Private View evening and discussion celebrating the opening of the exhibition of work from our local ethnic communities.
Join us on 17th October for the next in our series of ‘In Conversation With’ events where Virginia Orr, our Exhibition Cocrdinator will host a panel discussion with Ahmed Jabir and Shahena Begum, two of the artists showing in the exhibition. We will explore what community means to them as artists and what informs the work they create.
The event will be held as a fundraiser and Ahmed and Shahena will offer prints of their work, alongside books written by Ahmed and some traditional handmade Sudanese (bakhoor) incense made by Aisha. All proceeds will go to Save the Children – Sudan Crisis.
In this exhibition we bring together and celebrate work from our wonderfully creative and talented diverse ethnic communities. Shahena Begum is an emerging British/Bengali artist living in Tower Hamlets, Ahmed Jabir is an established British/Sudanese artist living in Hackney and Aisha Hussein Shariffe, a Sudanese artist and interior designer living in Greenford.
As artists, they are part of a wide community, even if unknown to each other, and each appreciates the value of community as a space in which to create, thrive, share ideas, find support and grow. And this matters, not only because it enriches their life and work, it is fundamental to our existence as humans.
In bringing these artists together in the same space the exhibition aims to provoke in the viewer a consideration of how this diverse body of work can hang in close proximity to each other with harmony whilst each retains its individuality and how this concept is vital to us in society as a whole.
As Ahmed Jabir, so beautifully states’ Knowing people well through a community or multiple communities is crucial in understanding ourselves to inspire each other to enrich our creativity and existence effectively’
Venue: The Gallery Café, St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PL
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Dates: Thursday 17th October
Access: If you have any access needs of which we should be aware, please let us know.
Step-free entry to The Gallery Cafe is at the rear, through the garden. It is accessible through the gate located two doors to the left of the cafe’s main entrance. If you need access to an accessible toilet, please let us know so we can arrange that.
Attendance is free but registration is essential