In Their Own Image

In partnership with the Office of Inclusion and Cultural Expression, Belfast Exposed is proud to present the BIEN (British? Irish? Either? Neither?) Project, three interconnected exhibitions that seek to address identity in Northern Ireland in a balanced, inclusive and respectful way.

The structure of three exhibitions is deliberate. The two solo exhibitions offer focused reflections on two cultural heritages in Northern Ireland, namely Ulster-Scots through abandoned spaces, and the Irish language via its mythical landscapes. These two exhibitions create space for depth, care and celebration, affirming the importance of cultural memory as living, evolving practices. The group exhibition brings together artists who are either from or based in Northern Ireland, reflecting the reality of a society that has changed profoundly over recent years, offering perspectives that are intimate, critical, compassionate and reflective.

The group exhibition In Their Own Image brings together internationally-established and award-winning Northern Ireland photographers with emerging artists looking at diversity identity. Together they provide reflective, non-sensational approaches to cultural pluralism within Northern Ireland. It reflects the reality of a society that has changed profoundly over the past twenty-five years. Here we encounter work that speaks to migration, diaspora, Traveller identity, queer experience, faith, post-conflict landscapes, and everyday civic life. The presence of the artists, such as Victor Sloan, Paul Seawright, Donovan Wylie, Cathal McNaughton, Ailbhe Greaney, Mariusz Smiejek, Kyslyn Tun, Tolu Ogunware, Shelia Chakravarti, Frankie Quinn, Chad Alexander and others ensures that identity is understood not as a closed category but as something continually unfolding.

Artists

Chad Alexander
John Baucher
Rebecca Brownlie
Emma Campbell
Sheila Chakravarti
Ailbhe Greaney
Cathal McNaughton
Iollann Ó Murchú
Tolu Ogunware
Frankie Quinn
Peter Richards
Paul Seawright
Victor Sloan
Mariusz Smiejek
Kyslyn Tun
Donovan Wylie