Reception, The Dirars

Reception was part of a series of activities made by local artists and commissioned by Absolutely Cultured in response to an open call out for Creative Hull in 2021.

The Dirars (Arafa, Mayas, Ethar, Waieel, Akram and Gaida Dirar), are a group of collaborative artists based in Hull. Born in West Sudan, the family arrived in the UK in 2015 as refugees through the UN gateway resettlement programme. Having spent four years in a refugee camp in Egypt, the group developed their skills in drawings, paintings, and poetry to reflect and share their story to draw attention to the ongoing plight of the millions of people fleeing war and persecution.

An insight into the lives of newly-arrived asylum seekers in the UK, The Dirars brought us a series of narrative paintings highlighting the challenges that they face as they adapt and adjust to living in a new place.

“We would love to invite you to come and join us for our latest exhibition!” – The Dirars

Reflecting the reality of arriving in an alien environment with a new language, new culture and new weather, all during a global pandemic, Reception explored isolation, coping and how asylum seekers can attempt to establish new lives from the loss of old.

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