"The World Gallery offers more than a description of human life in all its broad and astounding diversity. It explores the depths of what it means to be human too." - The Times
"Objective truths about human culture are hard to come by, but this beautiful new gallery asks all the right questions" - New Scientist
"The effect is one of splendid profusion… The common thread is one of inclusiveness" - Financial Times
Reviews of the Horniman Museum and Garden's World Gallery. I was one of the small team of curators which realised the gallery.
SELECTED work
Over 8 years I made a map of Mumuret, a valley in northwest Pakistan where I've carried out extended fieldwork. The map charts events which happened during the timespan of its making. Some events impacted many people, whilst other sections of the map are more personal, relating to the valley as I experienced it.
On the left, Angélica Dass' Humanae, on the right a wine cup from fifth century BCE Athens, two meditations on difference in human appearance, made twenty-four centuries apart. The exhibition COLOUR: Art, Science and Power (2022-2023) deconstructed the use of 'black' and 'white' as a means of categorising people.
What does colour mean to you? The final section of the exhibition COLOUR: Art, Science and Power (2022-2023) explores the relationship between colour and identity. To dramatically expand the range of perspectives presented by the exhibition we’ve asked visitors to tell us about the significance of colour for them.
During the lockdowns I made a series of drawings about a collection of stone charms which I had curated at the Horniman Museum and Gardens. I found this cathartic. Which made me think about the ongoing agency of objects once they've entered a museum's collection. Which led me to reflect on the effect that objects can have on people working in museums, something we perhaps don't pay enough attention to. Keep on looking at the drawing, it will change.