The Kaleidentity Project
Since September 2023, I have been studying MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. As part of my studies, I embarked on a research project with ten truly inspirational participants who have a migration background, to hear their stories and experiences discrimination and belonging, as well as exploring their identity and personality through colour and visual symbols. I am intend to self-publish a book presenting my research and sharing their incredible wisdom, which will include quotes from their interviews, portrait artworks and flags I have designed for them to represent their identity. These works will also be displayed in the MA degrees final show at Central Saint Martins (1st-6th July 2025) where I hope to be able to distribute free copies of this publication to visitors - to further disseminate the outcomes of my research project.
I chose my project participants, because of their experience of migration to and within Europe – I wanted to celebrate their diverse identities in vivid colour whilst also sharing their incredible insights into the experience of living and working in multiple countries. I interviewed each of the participants, asking questions about their perception of home, community and belonging as well as their experiences of cruelty, prejudice and discrimination. I was so impressed by their varied attitudes and responses to the challenges they have faced as migrants with diverse identities (three participants are members of the LGBTQ+ community, two are refugees, five are people of colour and two are parents) and I hope that my research, my artworks and this book will do justice to the knowledge they shared with me.
During the interviews, I asked each participant to explore their identity and personality through a visual framework – inviting them to choose a colour scheme and symbols with personal significance – which I could use in the resulting portrait and textiles artworks I am creating to represent each participant. The oil portraits are painted on canvas, and fragment their image into segments of vibrant colour – simultaneously confrontational and celebratory – the paintings prompt a dialogue about representation of diverse, intersectional identities that defy simplistic labelling, such as nationality, ethnicity, sexuality and gender.
The title of the project, 'Kaleidentity', is inspired by Kaleidescopes, a toy which creates an infinitely changing pattern of colourful shapes which I played with as a child. The term kaleidics comes from the Greek: καλός εἶδος: meaning a good/beautiful form/shape and denotes the ever-changing shape and status of an economy. As with the stories of those who have migrated, uncertainty is the primary kaleidic factor.
With the help of my crowdfunding community, I would like to self-publish the creative research outcomes from my 'Kaleidentity' project in a book. With your help I will raise the funds to cover the printing and distribution costs of the book - which will be freely distributed at my university's MA degree show in July 2025.
If you would like to support my creative research and work as an artist, you can pledge for a signed copy of the book, commission your own portrait in the style of the portraits or make a donation to support the project.
Every contribution will help to support my work and make the book a reality, but even if you are unable to contribute financially, sharing the crowdfunder on social media is always appreciated. I couldn’t do the creative campaigning work that I do without the ongoing support of my community, and I am incredibly grateful for any help you can offer.