Meet with the Artist: Arpita Shah

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.

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 Hyman Collection, courtesy of the Centre for British Photography’.

Celebrate the opening of 'Modern Muse', as Shah discusses the inspiration behind the series, the collaborations that shaped it and the process of creation.