Transcultural Leap Exhibition : Shakila Mumtaz
From Friday 1st February to Saturday 9th February. Open Fridays and Saturdays from 10.00am - 4.00pm.
I am a 28 years old disabled Asian woman artist from Heckmondwike (West Yorkshire), a former pupil of Millbridge Junior and Infant and Newsome High School. I studied at Dewsbury College before starting my degree at Bradford College. In 2002 I graduated with a first class BA (hons) in fine art. Two years later I completed an MA in Contemporary Fine Art Practice from Leeds Metropolitan University. I have completed my MPhil last year and have been transferred onto doing a PhD.
My works so far examine a range of representations of the Asian Community in Britain, particularly the one in Bradford where thousands of people migrated from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh in the 1950’s in search for employment.
My works are also about the role of Asian women and their ways of living in the society here, how they often feel for the need of encouragement, support, and translation from others which often leaves these women who are not educated isolated, imprisoned and yearning for protection.
I have researched the past and present of my Ethnic group and recognized how many eastern traditions are encouraged by the first Asian generations who have lived here for over 50 years. I have also researched into Asian artists in different countries, particularly Asian Women Artists who have remained an epitome of strength and inspiration to nascent artists like me.
I make use of different scales to show a strong refusal to restrictions placed on Asian women (specifically disabled Asian women) by their community and more or less all my works bear an abrasive texture that characterizes a stoic exterior symbolic of their perseverance and patience. My intention now is to investigate the way in which the disabled artists work in a society, group and individually. How people with special needs are often challenged with their own circumstances and their art.
This exhibition is supported by the Research in Residence Scheme that is a funding body to support students throughout the UK to create awareness in secondary schools/colleges about Universities, what university life is like, and what subjects are available in these Universities.
I chose Newsome High School in Huddersfield because I felt it was appropriate for my research, in order to work alongside both, students with special needs as well as able bodied pupils. I took some carpet strips along with other mixed media to the School and the children did a fabulous job on them. The idea was to represent road markings through carpets that is symbolic of the ‘opposites’ i.e. the indoor and outdoor theme,