Uprooted Visions

Uprooted Visions is an exhibition of new work assembling a multiplicity of practices and cultural reference points, print processes and ways of experimenting with printmaking. The culmination of a two-year project funded by Creative Europe and led by Edinburgh Printmakers as one of a network of five European print studios sees this large-scale exhibition showcase the work of 30 exciting international artists.

The artists selected for the residency programme and Uprooted Visions exhibition have all had their art practices disrupted by the lived experience of migration. For some, including Ukrainian artists Wiktor Zwolskyi, Kateryna Svirgunenko, Irynka Gvozdyk, Anastasiia Melnykova-Blidar, and Antony Reznik the experience is more recent; others including Zory Shahrokhi, Azad Karim, and Amir Zainorin have developed their careers over decades in their new home countries.  

Each artist was awarded a non-prescriptive month-long residency to provide space to experiment, explore and work with studio technicians to discover new techniques or develop current projects. Uprooted Visions presents a range of work created in print, textiles, video, sculpture and photography.  The artworks reflect a range of responses including those that delve into the concept of home, the enduring experience of war, the mundane, experiential nature of journeying across borders and re-configuring notions of self-identity, while other artists have chosen to use their residency time to create artworks linked with different themes.  

The full list of participating artists is:  

Dareen Abbas (Syria-Belgium), Najma Abukar (Somalia-Scotland), Mousa AlNana (Syria-Scotland), Shatha Altowai (Yemen-Scotland), Rezan Arab (Syria-Denmark), Arafa and the Dirars (Sudan-UK), Aqsa Arif (Scotland-Pakistan), Mohammad Barrangi (Iran-UK), Qëndresë Deda (Kosovo-Slovenia), Paria Goodarzi (Iran-Scotland), Azadeh Hashemzadeh (Iran-Slovenia), Naila Hekmat (Syria-Denmark), Irynka Gvozdyk (Ukraine-Denmark), Azad Karim (Iraq-Slovenia), Diaa Lagan (Syria-Ireland), Leanne McDonagh (Ireland), Anastasiia Melnykova-Blidar (Ukraine-Ireland), Barbara Miše (Croatia-The Netherlands), Thaís Muniz (Brazil-Ireland), Ceyda Oskay (Turkey-Ireland), Antony Reznik (Ukraine-Germany), Lina Rica (Croatia-Slovenia), Zory Shahrokhi (Iran-UK), Kateryna Svirgunenko (Ukraine-Denmark), Francisco Tomsich (Uruguay-Slovenia), Amir Zainorin (Malaysia-Denmark), Maja Živko (Bosnia and Herzegovina-Slovenia) and Wiktor Zwolskyi (Ukraine-Denmark).  

Uprooted Visions is the culmination of the wider European programme of Studios of Sanctuary residencies. Led by Edinburgh Printmakers, In from the Margins  is a collaboration with studio hosts Cork Printmakers, Ireland,  AGA LAB, Amsterdam, Netherlands,  Funen Printmaking Studio, Odense, Denmark and  International Centre of Graphic Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia. The residency programme has provided: supported workspaces for 30 artists from refugee and migrant backgrounds; exchanges of their work; and engagement with refugee, schools and wider communities.  
 

Image credit: Arafa and the Dirars, Our Scar, screen print and block print on fabric, 2022.  

Uprooted Visions and the In From the Margins project have been made possible with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. Additional support provided by; City of Edinburgh Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund through Creative Scotland, the Arts Council of Ireland, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Embassy of Slovenia in London. Uprooted Visions is kindly sponsored by StayCity.