Hafifa Ahmed (BTO2 on Tour)
Hafifa Ahmed exhibited as part of our Beyond the Obvious on Tour showcase which ran from October 5th - 28th at Riverside Gallery in Riverside House, Rotherham.
Hafifa is an interdisciplinary artist, living in Leeds. She completed an MA in creative practice from Leeds Arts University in 2020. Her concerns are memory, narrative and sacred text (Arabic Calligraphy). Making visible the journeys many go through privately, Hafifa’s work focuses on the subtle and psycho-spiritual processes.
Beyond the Obvious 2 On Tour // Rotherham showcase is a continuation of our Beyond the Obvious publication. With artworks from 11 artists from the global majority, the exhibition took place at Riverside Gallery. BTO2 acts as a “Sector Snapshot” that highlights the lived experience of artists from the global majority in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Find out more here.
Can you tell us a bit about the piece of work you're exhibiting as part of the Beyond the Obvious on Tour//Rotherham Showcase?
This body of work began with a journey into investigating trauma and healing and how this is manifested in terms of the hearts journey in healing. Through manipulating the sculptural pieces, new tensions are manifested from both explicit and implicit narratives. The aim of the work is to push forward and challenge conversations on processes of healing, ideas of vulnerability, permanence and reparation.
Why do you create?
My work is about memory and narrative and so my sculptural pieces tell a story. I create to bring those stories to life and to invite conversations from others. My text-based work is partly based on childhood memories of seeing Sacred Text around the home and partly to create new pieces that incorporate my love of colour into them.
Do you consider yourself to be part of an artist network/community, and if so, how does this impact your practice?
I consider myself to be part of an artist community whether part of a formal network (East Street Arts) or an informal network consisting of friends who are artists.
What changes would you like to see in the arts sector?
The changes I would like there to be in the Arts sector are for there to be more diverse narratives and representation in galleries. There are changes being made, however it still tends to be marginalised.