Diaspora exhibition at Holyrood
The work of Catriona Taylor, Artist in Residence for the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies, is set to feature in the Scottish Parliament. (Published 23 July 2014)
In August the work which has arisen from Catriona Taylor’s residency with the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies will be on display at a MSP exhibition within the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.
Catriona’s exhibition consists of film work, photography and a “migration quilt” which brings together approximately 100 printed images of objects that people have brought to Scotland to remind them of home. The quilt measures an impressive 240 x 250cm.
Inspiration
Catriona’s inspiration came from working with an Art in Immigration group consisting of Polish women. The group discussed what migration means to different people and what people take with them to remind them of home.
She worked with many people of all ages, including some sessions with a class of primary seven pupils in Dalry Primary School, which is 75% multicultural. The parents also got involved; the whole project was very much about real life, personal journeys.
Catriona wanted to show a positive take on migration and chose to create the quilt because they are both decorative and practical and it allowed her to visually display, in a communal way, a group of diverse and varied stories.
Starting over
Participants were asked to write a story or draw the object they brought with them from their home country; these were printed on to the fabric to make up the quilt.
Each individual had a different interpretation and objects include a teddy bear, a bracelet, a flag, a Christian cross, family photographs, favourite family recipes. One section features an image of someone's hands with the caption "I brought to Scotland my bare hands to start all over again."
The participants who contributed are from all around the world; Poland, Sudan, Turkey, Goa and China, to name a few.
Over a year in the making
Catriona started her research and colleting the images for the project in March 2013; the project has been a huge undertaking, well over a year in the making.
The exhibition was first seen as part of the School’s Global Migrations of the Scottish People Since 1600 Conference that took place earlier this month.
