Refuge: Testimonies of a Lost Home
11 February – 25 March 2006

Yasmin Yaqub’s photomontages and video are based upon the people, architecture and landscapes of Oldham and Manchester. Her work draws you into a cinematic, hyper-real landscape which at first appears to be playful and quirky. However, there is a darker message beneath Yasmin’s intensely vibrant and poignant images.

Yasmin’s work explores complex issues surrounding political migration. She contrasts the often highly emotional personal stories of individual asylum seekers with a slick corporate photographic style in order to make the viewer question their own assumptions and beliefs. What are the facts and what are the myths? Yasmin’s work creates an alternative perspective to the current debates surrounding migration.

Refuge is initiated by Shisha (The International Agency for Contemporary South Asian Crafts and Visual Arts) in partnership with Gallery Oldham, and is part of the ongoing Parampara Programme which supports the development of South Asian artists and curators in the districts of Greater Manchester. Yasmin has worked with video artist Sara Maguire and sound artist Jaydev Mistry to create Refuge.