Postgraduate Show
ual: Camberwell College of Arts
7-12 July 2025
Installation views: Camberwell College of Arts, London, 7-12/7/2025
Intention
My degree show presented a series of four oil paintings in the form of pictorial diary and visual autobiography, documenting and reflecting upon my lived experience in the UK. The paintings explore a range of issues related to identity politics, including ethnicity, gender, class, etc. Through this series, I hope to extend beyond expressing the vulnerability, injustice or difficulties I have faced. Rather, they are made to discover and understand the perspectives of others from minority communities and particularly women, who resonate with themes of displacement and resilience.
In presenting these paintings, I did not intend to speak solely to those who share my background or circumstances. My intention was to create a space where viewers coming from diverse backgrounds can bring various sensibilities, interests, and cultural positions and can be able to find their own points of connection within the works.
Curation
As the four paintings are relatively large in scale (each approximately one meter wide), I initially planned to install them across two generous wall spaces. However, I soon realized that even with both walls available, the four paintings could not fit comfortably if I wanted to maintain adequate spacing between each piece for viewing. I experimented with several arrangements, including unconventional placement such as hanging one painting vertically along the edge of the wall, to ensure all four could be displaced. This approach would have allowed me to include every painting while also using the painting as a subtle spatial divider within the shared exhibition area.
Another experiment was co-curating the space with my colleague with whom I shared the wall. This encouraged a collaborative layout and balance.
Nonetheless, due to the size of the painting, the vertical placement proved less effective visually and limited the viewing experience.
Although the series of four paintings is conceptually interconnected, I was initially prepared to strike a balance by showing only three paintings. However, after discussing with Remi Rana-Allen, we decided to experimenting with a freestanding display for the fourth painting. This solution not only made use of the previously empty aera but also responded thoughtfully to the surroundings. Having been positioned in front of a set of windows, the painting which depicts the scene on Camberwell High Street had become naturally integrated with the real urban landscape beyond the glass. The freestanding placement therefore enhanced both the spatial flow and conceptual coherence of the installation, creating a meaningful dialogue between the environment and its context.
This curatorial decision has changed my understanding of how space can shape meaning within an exhibition. I realised that the exhibition space is actively shapes how meanign is perceived. The freestanding installation became an extension of the narrative and invite viewers to move around the work and treat it like a sculptural piece.
Freestanding display
Figure 1
Daniah Al Saleh
Hinat, 2022
Photo transfer, Watercolour, acrylic paint, Watercolour paper, cotton canvas, projectors, videos (5 m on loop)
The idea of displaying the painting as a freestanding piece was developed during the installation and was not initially planned. With limited time to construct a proper support, I went to consult Lenny from the ual projects and showcase team about making a freestanding base. We agreed to repurpose some leftover wooden batons to create the base. With the help of Lenny, the painting was mounted on a tripod-style stand, weighted at the back to ensure stability and prevent any risk of tripping due to its height. Since the reclaimed wood had blue paint on the sides, I mixed and applied a layer of acrylic paint to cover up and achieve a natural wood finishing.
The decision was later reinforced when I encountered Daniah Al Saleh's Hinat (2022) (see figure 1) in Frieze London 2025. In that work, the raw wooden support was not disguised but integrated into the piece, creating a thoughtful continuity between structure and image. The stand did not function merely as display hardware; it became part of the artwork’s material language. I realised that my own freestanding base could operate similarly. It can act as a practical solution or an extension of the painting’s relationship to space.
During the prepration, I also included a small circular painting of a white tennis ball. I experimented with placing it in different positions around the painting Pictorial Journal #2,
However. I decided not to include it in the final layout, as I wanted to maintain a clear visual on the main painting and avoid diluting the focus.