'Modern Muse'- an exhibition by Arpita Shah

‘Modern Muse’ is a series of photographic portraits celebrating the identities and experiences of young South Asian women from Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Drawing from and subverting the conventions of Mughal and Indian miniature paintings from ancient to pre-colonial times, Arpita Shah’s Modern Muse visually and conceptually explores the ever-shifting identities and representations of South Asian women in contemporary Britain. The portraits give an insight into the perspectives of what it means to be a young British and Asian woman, while also challenging the lack of visibility of women of colour as ‘Muses’ in Western art history.

Arpita Shah is a photographic artist and educator based in Eastbourne, UK. She works between photography and film, exploring the fields where culture and identity meet. Her work has been shown internationally in the USA, India, United Arab Emirates and across the UK. She is the recipient of the 2019 Light Work and Autograph ABP Artist in Residence programme in Syracuse, New York and her work is held at the National Galleries of Scotland and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Modern Muse was commissioned by GRAIN Projects and was made with women in Birmingham and the West Midlands, supported by Arts Council England. Kindly lent by The Centre for British Photography.