Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders, explores South Asian textiles bringing together four artists working on issues around post-colonial identity, ruptured spaces, authenticity, displacement and belonging. These artists are based in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and England, having developed artworks around these concerns, experimenting with a range of media and such as textiles, fibres, embroidery, film, photography and performance.

This is a past exhibition which ran from  20 May 2017 to 3 June 2018.

The exhibition highlights the changing landscape of the subcontinent in the twenty first century, post independence and partition.

Artists: Raisa Kabir (England), Yasmin Nupur (Bangladesh), Risham Syed (Pakistan) and CONA (a Foundation, artist-driven, not-for-profit, based in India).

Beyond Borders is exhibited across the Whitworth's main textile gallery. Each artist’s new work is debuted alongside textiles and/or objects from the Whitworth's textile collection. Pattern books and vibrant textiles are selected to responded and resonate with themes captured in the artist’s own creations.

Event: A Tailor is sewing the dress of Tipu Sultan

As part of this exhibition, there will be a special two-day performance by Yasmin Jahan Nupur.
19 Saturday and 20 Sunday May 2018 10:30 - 16:30. Free, no booking.

The Panchamahabhuta quilt on display in the Beyond Borders exhibition relates to a community-based organisation - Thotpot - in Mumbai, India who have revived the traditional quilt-making art known as Godhri or Godhari. As an ethical organisation, working with women from the Siddi community, Thotpot aims to revive and retain the heritage arts of India. Thotpot has been involved with public arts projects such as Wrapping the Runway over the last six years. Thanks to the team at Thotpot, we are able to see a short film of their invaluable work; courtesy of Tapan Mittal-Deshpande and Abhinit Khanna.

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Find out about further New North and South projects here >

Image: Yasmin Nupur, Unity of the Untitled, 2017