The Chai Shai: Asian British Art (with a focus on South Asian British and East Asian Contemporary Women Artists Practice) research group aims to address underrepresentation of Asian British women artists in exhibitions and challenge their under-representation and invisibility in the British Art world. Our focus is to shed light on the systematic barriers, including racism and misogyny, that prevent these artists from gaining equal exposure and recognitions within visual arts. By bringing together artists, writers, curators, academics, and researchers, we aim to generate new channels of thinking and networking that will contribute towards the development of British Art curating e.g. generating material and networks leading to a new exhibition of contemporary artists work.
Through reading groups, film screenings, performance, workshops and symposia, we aim to create thinking spaces that will unpack notions of invisibility and disenchantment, and identity strategies for redressing this imbalance. As a research group, we believe that disenchantment and invisibility are not simply a result of a lack of exposure or representation, but are deeply rooted in systemic inequalities and power dynamics. Our research group attempts to challenge these dynamics to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable art world which in itself is crucial for the growth and advancement of British cultural landscape. The project will be archived within the Slade School of Fine Art and UCL Art Museum.
