EAST QUAY OPEN 2024: OPEN ABOUT IDENTITY
‍Saturday 25 May – Monday 2 September 2024

East Quay is thrilled to present its inaugural Open exhibition, celebrating artworks by artists from Somerset and beyond. Responding to the theme of ‘identity’, the artworks on display have been selected by an independent panel of judges following an open submission process.

Full list of exhibiting artists:‍

Dave Alexander / Annabel Anderson / Cliff Andrade / David Askew / Sally Baldwin / Lyn Barlow / Jenny Barron / Elaoise Benson / Lisa Benson David Bernard / Cath Bloomfield / Sara Bor / Harry Borden / Louise Bradley Mike Bradshaw / Patrick Bremer / Ailbhe Callanan / Biying Cao / Amalia Castoldi / Yuyang Chen / Annie Clay / Vanessa Clegg / Sheila Cragg Jackie Crawford / Juice Cui / Shengdi Cui / Ros Cuthbert / Andrew Davey Jenni Dutton / Shelley Dyer-Gibbins / Yuko Edwards / Miles Elliott / Edie Evans / Ann Farley / Mark Fearbunce / Michelle Marie Forrest-Beckett Jenny Graham / Zsofia Hajdu / Catherine Heard / Ingrid Hesling / Lola Evelyn Ives / Nick Ivins / Jo Johnson / Georgina King / Katherine Laing Peter Lazare / Olana Light / Jess Littlewood / Le Liu / Sue Lowe / Martin Mann / Raphael Mihai / Jane Mowat / Sara Netherway /Cath O’Leary / Holly Passmore / Jane Robbins / Delaney Rogers / Nicky Saunter / Gina May Selene / Rachel Smith / Corinna Spencer / Lisa Takahashi / Mellony Taper / Georgina Towler / Boyuan Wang / Peter Ward / Kester Welch / Ava White / Grazyna Wikierska / Georgie Willmington / Xinyi Yang / Hamish Young / Lianjiang Zhu

The concept of identity asks us to question who we are and what defines us, both individually and collectively. It can give us a sense of belonging, purpose, and personal agency. In today’s polarised political and social landscape, identities are also a source of passionate and sometimes vicious debate. Politicians and the media use conflicting views around gender, sexuality, race, and religion to fuel the culture wars and stoke up division, most often in pursuit of political and financial gain.

This exhibition aims to give voice to some of these emotive, important narratives but also strives to highlight identity in a more general sense, allowing artists to speak about all kinds of things that form identity. The artwork in this exhibition embraces everything from place and local culture, to professional lives and hobbies, to families and relationships, alongside myriad other aspects that contribute to defining who we are. The exhibition shows a more nuanced, complex, and balanced narrative about identity, which is as much about what unites and connects us as what divides or defines us.

The artworks on display allow us to contemplate the many ways we identify, illustrating the importance of difference but also acceptance, regardless of our personal beliefs or where we are from.

We are very grateful to the three panellists — Alice Workman (Curator and Director, Bo Lee and Workman), Amahra Spence (Curator and Director, MAIA), and Simon Morrissey (Curator and Director, Foreground Projects) — who selected the works on display in Gallery 1. The panel has also awarded the following three prizes:

- Judges’ Favourite Prize — £1000. This prize has been awarded to Holly Passmore for her photograph: 'Nanda with Chickens'.
- Student/Under 25s Prize — £1000. This prize has been awarded to Catherine Heard for her painting: 'Custard, I've Had A Brilliant Idea.'
- Somerset Submission Prize — £1000. This prize has been awarded to Harry Bordon for his photograph: 'Cedric''
- Audience Favourite Prize - £1000. This prize was voted for by visitors throughout the course of the exhibition and has been awarded to Jenni Dutton for her textile piece: 'POWER/PLAY/PROTECT/PROTEST'.

Acknowledgements

Contains Art would like to thank our independent panel of adjudicators who selected the artwork featured in East Quay’s inaugural Open exhibition: Curator and Director of MAIA, Amahra Spence; Curator and Director of Bo Lee and Workman Gallery, Alice Workman; and Curator and Director of Foreground Projects, Simon Morrissey. Finally, Contains Art would like to thank Jon England, Rupert De Renzy-Martin, Jesse Wilde, and With Print. Special thanks also to David Harwood Smith, George Harwood Smith, Jessica Prendergrast, Millie Laing-Tate, Miriam Higgs, Freya Alexander, and Charlotte Mann.

Contains Art CIO

The galleries at East Quay are run by a charity, Contains Art CIO (charity number 1193931), which is founded on the belief that who you are, where you live, and what you have should not constrain access to creativity and culture. All donations to Contains Art are reinvested in our programmes. This exhibition is funded with generous support from Arts Council England and the Golsoncott Foundation.

Image credits: Jesse Wild