Ways of Working

For the past 12 months, I’ve been immersed in the Perspective(s) project, a collaboration with @_waysofworking_ , St Fagans Museum, and @auroratrinitycollectivecardiff This project is truly made up of many hands—an exploration of how museums hold power and how we can begin to deconstruct that power. The work culminated in four installations, including Absent Presence, a short film reflecting on these themes. I’m thrilled to see this work featured in @guardian , but it’s more than just recognition. It’s a reminder that we need to have urgent conversations about dismantling power structures within institutions born out of colonial imaginations. The link to the article which also features the other six artists’ projects is in my bio and also below. /world/2024/nov/21/how-clive-of-indias-1767-sofa-ended-up-in-a-british-south-asian-living-room?CMP=share_btn_url #welshart #artactivism #decolonisethemuseum #decolonise

I’m so pleased that Perspective(s) the exhibition for which I was lead artist in collaboration with @_waysofworking_ , was selected as a case study by the National Centre for Academic and Cultural Exchange. Among many things, this project was about holding space for multiple perspectives especially the ones that don’t usually get centred and thinking through whose knowledge gets seen, valued, and archived. Really glad to see that kind of work being recognised in this way. A special shout out to @maimusie who recognised that our project needed to be a case study.

We @sarwarskuse @auroratrinitycollectivecardiff @_owengriffiths @carys.mol are so proud to be sharing this film of the Deconstructed Symposium and newly commissioned artworks from the @auroratrinitycollectivecardiff for @museumwales St Fagans as part of Perspective(s). We co-hosted this Deconstructed Symposium and exhibition opening with our community partner for Perspective(s) Aurora Trinity Collective, with chai and needlework through a ceremonial sewing action. We were also joined by our critical friends @profcorinnefowler Nusrat Ahmed Curator of South Asian Gallery at Manchester Museum and @maimusie to talk visibility, justice and the critical and reflective dialogue needed to do this work. In the film everyone offers a provocation not only to the museum but to cultural and heritage sector in Cymru. We acknowledge this is ongoing work and can never reach a place of ‘completion’. We wanted to model what a deconstructed, lived experience led symposium could look like at a National Museum, and this feels like the result of a deep collaboration and trust. @auroratrinitycollectivecardiff ‘s work will be profiled here soon and now form art of the permanent national collection, exhibited at Gweithdy gallery, St Fagans. This is one of the significant legacies of our collective work and the team at St Fagans. A publication celebrating these new works will be launched in August 2025. Artist @sarwarskuse @auroratrinitycollectivecardiff @_owengriffiths Creative producer @carys.mol @celfcymruarts @museumwales Film by @cblocproductions #freepalesti̇ne

Tomorrow in Swansea - join the walk! Yfory yn Abertawe- ymunwch ar daith! #freepalestine #palestinerhydd

How do museums tell stories? What do we leave out? How was/is power used? Khawaab Mahal (Dream Palace) is an immersive installation that reimagines the tent of Tipu Sultan, the legendary 18th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India. Looted by Edward Clive (son of Clive of India) after Tipu’s death in battle, the tent was taken to Powis Castle, where it became a symbol of British domination—used for garden parties – an insult to its original purpose. Now, digitally revived on printed fabric and surrounded by dreamlike soundscapes, the tent invites visitors to step into Tipu’s world, reclaim a stolen legacy, and take part in a conversation across time. We were joined by Nasia and Owen to explore the themes of the installation, which will be in our South Asia Gallery until August 31st, 2025. 🔗 More info: /event/khawaab-mahal-and-absent-presence/

Khawaab Mahal | Dream Palace | محل‎خواب installation at South Asian Gallery, at @mcrmuseum with @sarwarskuse @carys.mol @_owengriffiths @eifionporter @darkroomtrip huge thanks to this dedicated team and to Nusrat Ahmed, Curator at SAG for bringing this work to Manchester. Special thanks to @carys.mol for coordinating everything with such generosity and kindness. This has been an amazing journey to see this work being experienced outside Wales as new step in a longer term collaboration…and as a legacy of the Perspective(s) project, where it began at @museumwales @celfcymruarts More images to follow… #tipusultan #walespakistan #decolonial #racialjusticenow #coloniallegacies #musesum #cymru #celfcymru #nasiasarwarskuse #manchester #manchestermuseum #southasiangallery

How do museums tell stories? What do we leave out? How was/is power used? Khawaab Mahal (Dream Palace) invites you to step inside the world of Tipu Sultan, the legendary 18th-century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India, to experience his dreams and witness a conversation across time. The installation reimagines Tipu Sultan’s tent, which was looted by Clive of India’s son Edward Clive, after Tipu died in battle. This beautiful tent, now housed at Powis Castle, became a symbol of British domination, often used for garden parties – an insult to its original purpose. The recreated tent uses digital images of the original, printed on fabric. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in Tipu’s world, surrounded by soundscapes and dreams, reclaiming a space once taken through force. Here are some photos of the installation, launch event this Wednesday! More info here 👉 /event/khawaab-mahal-and-absent-presence/ Book tickets for the launch event here 👉 /event/khawaab-mahal-and-absent-presence-launch-event/

#Repost @take_a_part_plymouth ・・・ Last week, Welsh environmental and socially engaged artist @_owengriffiths was in Plymouth for ‘Bridging Cultures’ - a Connections Through Culture grant project supported by @my_british Take A Part and @globalenvironmentcentre are working with Owen and Orang Asli Indigenous artist and environmentalist @shaqkoyok_art (Banting, Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve, Malaysia) to co-deliver a shared UK-Malaysia community-created environmental justice call to action. This work will allow the artists to share, test, explore practices, and consider ways in which to strengthen and capacity-build the environmental justice and Socially Engaged Arts (SEA) sectors between the UK and Malaysia. Journal making, question generation and a letter from Shaq launched the project with an atmosphere of care, compassion, and camaraderie. The @ocean.city.influencers are also getting involved, adding their perspective to make this project intergenerational as well as international. 📷 Image Credit: Evie’s Question, Ocean City Influencers, 2025.

Heno at @graft____ Tonight at @graft____ A community conversation for Earth Day with a free film screening. Come along and please spread the word in Swansea. At the National Waterfront Museum of Wales… #Repost @graft____ with @use.repost ・・・ A quick reminder that this is on TONIGHT! To celebrate Earth Day we will be showing documentary “Wilding” with an introduction from Owen Griffiths @_waysofworking_ in our beautiful Warehouse Gallery. Tickets are FREE and available from the link in our Bio at @graft____ 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎

Eid Mubarak - artwork reposted from @landpalestine 🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Site visit to South Asian Gallery @mcrmuseum to see Nusrat Ahmed with lead artist @sarwarskuse and creative producer @carys.mol ahead of the new iteration of The Dream Palace and Absent Presence at SAG! Amazing to see the incredible exhibition and galleries at SAG today and to continue our deep dialogue with Nasia and Nusrat! Diolch am y croeso cynnes. Thanks for the warm welcome! Returning totally inspired! #manchestermuseum #southasiangallery #perspective #cliveofindia #decolonial #wales #celfcymru #waysofworking #creativeassociates

ENG: "In these natural, silent spaces, we don't have anymore ancient shepherds-peasants plunged into an uncontaminated, wild nature, but urban men living between multiple dimensions, interweaving different gradualities, participating physically and virtually to the economic and cultural dynamics that twist together the urbs become orbs that by now embrace the entire planet" (Lidia Decandia, urbanist). Montadinanza is underpinned by an unlike reasoning:"That of seriously considering a different form of social organisation of mountain settlements, no longer founded on the traditional role of small municipalities, instead based on a bigger dimension as the new lowest local area of interest" (Roberto Mascarucci, urbanist). Thanks @europeanculturalfoundation thanks #cultureofsolidarityfund