Gallery open 1-4pm on Saturday 8th, Wednesday 12th and Friday 14th February
The Residency: Bearing Witness to Genocide
Through her residency, Rabia Begum is exploring the patterns of genocide by investigating six countries that are currently struggling for human rights: Palestine, Sudan, Rakhine State Myanmar, Xinjiang China, Congo and Rwanda.
Begum works to create meaningful interactions, empathy and dialogue through her work. Textile art, printmaking and drawing reflect the cultural heritages of the six regions and enable experimentation for testing ideas.
About the Artist: RAbia Begum
Rabia Begum is an emerging visual artist based in Calderdale. Begum is Everybody Arts’ latest New Creative: a unique, paid traineeship designed to launch the careers of emerging artists in Calderdale.
Inspired by her Islamic heritage, racial justice and psychology, Begum aims to create meaningful social impact, encourage exploration and a deeper understanding for global stories. In 2023, Begum graduated with first class honours in Art & Design History and Psychology at Liverpool Hope University. Her dissertation project, Exploring how social factors influence eye movements when viewing paintings, led to a publication in a scientific journal, Nature.
As a Freelance Project Coordinator, Begum also works on the award-winning Families of the World project at Manchester Art Gallery, which provides creative play sessions for families that are seeking refuge and asylum. The project was recently awarded the Museums Association's Best Museums Change Lives Award 2024. Begum has co-curated the Climate Justice Gallery at Manchester Art Gallery and showcased a piece on behalf of the Museums Association for climate justice. She has sat on the Manchester Climate Change Youth Board and spoken on BBC Politics North-West to discuss net zero climate, and has worked on several projects with young people in Manchester delivering climate-based workshops.
Photos © Rabia Begum