Leave to Remain is a photographic exhibition of large scale portraits and accompanying testimonies recorded by documentary photographer Diana Matar.
During the last three years, Matar has worked with, photographed and interviewed a large number of politically displaced people living in various parts of Britain. Her subjects have travelled from countries that include Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq, Somalia and Sri Lanka. Through Matar’s work, they speak of their lives before and after arriving in this country.
This exhibition celebrates the artist’s first transition to large scale, colour work. The photographs, selected from a larger body of new work, were commissioned by Bedford Creative Arts to complement a series of black and white photographs shown here in 2002. Matar’s meticulous approach to colour gives these new images a very different feel. The whole collection will tour to other galleries around the country from October.
These sensitive and engaging portraits and stories provide a voice for a largely alienated and silent community. Leave to Remain presents honest, frank and uncompromising insights into the lives of each of these individuals.
Leave to Remain is a BCA Gallery touring Exhibition.
Leave to Remain is generously supported by Comic Relief and Arts Council England, East
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