Join exhibiting artist Arpita Shah at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to discuss the making of her acclaimed series Modern Muse which is currently on display in the Bridge Gallery. Modern Muse was commissioned by GRAIN Projects in 2019 and was acquired by the Birmingham Museums Trust in 2020.

Drawing from, and subverting the conventions of Mughal and Indian miniature paintings from ancient to pre-colonial times, Arpita Shah’s Modern Muse visually and conceptually explores the ever-shifting identities and representations of South Asian women in contemporary Britain. The portraits give an insight into the perspectives of what it means to be a young British and Asian woman, while also challenging the lack of visibility of women of colour as ‘Muses’ in Western art history.

Modern Muse was developed in collaboration with women artists, activists, creatives, and educators based in Birmingham and the West Midlands. In the exhibition, each portrait is paired with snippets from conversations between Shah and her sitters, where they talk about identity, heritage, and representation, and answer the question ‘Where do you come from?’.

Shah will discuss the inspiration, collaboration and making of the series, sharing a unique insight into research images and her earlier works that connect to themes of South Asian female identity.

This event takes place from 2pm to 4pm. Please meet in the Round Room, where you will be escorted to the gallery.

Pre-booking recommended.

Accessibility: This event is fully accessible by lift and does not require the use of stairs. For more detail see the accessibility page.