Eastside Projects commissioned me to curate some work for their 10th Anniversary group exhibition in Birmingham. I chose to curate the work of Photographer and Poet Amaal Said in an exploration of self portrait and redefining ourselves away from the white and western gaze. The installation I curated featured images printed on chiffon, vinyl text script from one of Amaal’s tumblr posts and a series of evolving photography framed to replicate a bedroom wall. The installation explored Amaal’s mental health, photography practice and self shooting to depict the importance of self-actualisation and how projects of western society on muslim women can affect our mental health.

Amaal was a joy to work with and the process was an extremely reflective one for both of us. The exhibition programme also featured a Decolonising the Curatorial workshop led by myself and Shaheen and A Blk in the Day scanning social.

This is the Gallery and the Gallery is Many Things X was an evolving exhibition / space / performance / event across 2018-19. Across twelve weeks and three launch events we (the commissioned artists and curators) responded to / add to / change the existing conditions and/or works previously shown within the space: I exhibited alongside Etel Adnan, Alice Channer, Teresa Cisneros, Libita Clayton, Ruth Ewan, Sarah Farmer, Melissa Gordon, Jenny Holzer, Jasleen Kaur, Ana Kazaroff, Kelly Large, Grace Ndiritu – COVERSLUT©, Tabita Rezaire, Samara Scott, Amy Pettifer & Jennifer Boyd (SHELL LIKE), Amaal Said, Lady Skollie, Jennifer Tee, Andrea Luka Zimmerman.