23 July 2024
An exciting art installation that celebrates the work of a local artist has been unveiled on Southampton’s East Street.
Funded by GO! Southampton and supported by John Hansard Gallery and Art Asia, this new public installation is on display on the hoardings on East Street and Queensway.
Earlier this year GO! Southampton, Art Asia, John Hansard Gallery, and Southampton Forward held an open call for Hampshire and Isle of Wight artists to design artworks for East Street celebrating South Asian arts and culture.
The selected artist is Winchester-based textile artist and researcher, Jennifa Chowdhury. Her work explores contemporary expressions of identity, heritage and belonging, with specific reference to British-Bengali-Muslim experiences. Her visual language draws from the diverse influences of Islamic geometric patterns, where the proportions linked to Islamic philosophy and metaphysical dimensions are critical to her textile practice.
Stephen Manion, Executive Director of GO! Southampton said: “This is a celebration of what makes our city such an exciting and vibrant place to live. We’re proud to be part of this project, and to support Southampton’s finest artists and festivals.”
The artwork ties in with the Southampton Mela Festival, a long-standing summer highlight in the city’s events calendar, celebrating modern and traditional Asian culture, which took place on Saturday 13th July in Hoglands Park in the city and was a roaring success.
Dahlia Jamil from Art Asia said: “We’re still celebrating the close of another fantastic Southampton Mela Festival. We attracted thousands of people from along the south coast to enjoy a fusion of music, dance and crafts from world-class artists, plus delicious food and fun family activities.
“We are delighted to be able to provide an opportunity for one of our local artists with South Asian heritage to have their work on show during this wonderful multicultural celebration that reflects the diversity of Southampton and showcases its enormous creativity.”
Part of the University of Southampton, John Hansard Gallery is one of the UK’s leading contemporary art galleries. Director Woodrow Kernohan said: “Our internationally recognised work connects people, communities and artists and our programme includes projects that draw on a wide range of perspectives and lived experiences.
“We celebrate this opportunity to raise the profile of local artists of South Asian heritage and we are proud to be able to do so in such a creative way.”
East Street is the second iteration in a collaboration between GO! Southampton and the University of Southampton, as part of the Civic University Agreement.
The Civic University Agreement intends to improve the quality of life for people in Southampton and surrounding areas by connecting communities through culture, education and enterprise. It was signed by representatives from the University of Southampton, which will lead the initiative, alongside Southampton and Winchester City Councils, Eastleigh and Test Valley Borough Councils and Hampshire County Council in 2023.
East Street follows the launch of a new mural by local artist Poppy Ash at Southampton Central Train Station earlier in 2024. Poppy studied at the University of Southampton’s Winchester School of Art, and her artwork is the first phase in an exciting new opportunity that offers both new and established artists the chance to see their work featured in the city.
This project has been developed through Southampton’s Public Art Group which includes Southampton City Council, John Hansard Gallery, ‘a space’ arts, GO! Southampton and Southampton Forward in its membership.
