UPDATE, June 28: As of June 26, the Greater Sydney region including the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong is under a compulsory two-week lockdown until 11.59pm on July 9. Many events in Sydney have therefore been cancelled or postponed until after this period.
The world may feel very small right now, with international travel not a thing for the most part. But hurrah to Campbelltown Arts Centre (CAC) for bringing a truly global celebration of creativity to our doorstep with I am a heart beating in the world: Diaspora Pavilion 2.
Showing at CAC from May 22 until July 25, it’s a collaboration with 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art and the International Curators Forum that aims to explore what it means being very far away from your ancestral home. Curated by Adelaide Bannerman, Mikala Tai and Jessica Taylor, it’s not just the theme that spans international borders; it’s also the artists involved. The show includes new works from local heroes Lindy Lee, Leyla Stevens and Abdul-Rahman Abdullah as well as contributions from the UK’s Kashif Nadim Chaudry and Zadie Xa, and Caribbean creator Daniela Yohannes.
We love the lush colours and textural richness of Chaudry’s textile sculptures, grappling with the societal pressures of his queer identity as a gay man of Pakistani heritage living in the UK. Fresh off the back of two major Sydney shows at MCA and Sullivan and Strumpf, Lindy Lee explores the feelings of absence in the Chinese diaspora in her inked works on paper. Leyla Stevens presents a photographic diptych, with a figure wearing a bright red traditional mask on both sides of their head, delving into what is seen and unseen in the Balinese landscape. And Abdul-Rahman Abdullah's winged-horse sculptures, connected to his Indonesian ancestry, are nothing short of magical.
“Last year taught us that the arts is a powerful part of community, creating connectivity and other ways to navigate issues,” CAC director Michael Dagostino says. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with 4A and the International Curators Forum to present I am a heart beating in the world: Diaspora Pavilion 2. Being situated in the fastest growing region, we are extremely proud to be connecting important Australian and international artists to Western Sydney, bringing their stories and experiences to our local communities.”
