Madi Acharya-Baskerville is an Asian born diaspora artist, living and working in the UK. Broadly speaking, the themes explored in her work range from environmental concerns, migration and exile and gender issues. What unities them is the found element, matter that already exists around us, an enduring reflection of the human condition. Her practice involves the synthesis of unlikely elements which she sources from different locations, the coastline, woodlands and vintage markets. Using objects, textiles, song, conversation and magazine cuttings which resonate with her on some level, she creates works which move fluidly between different media. Some of the materials have had a past life such as wooden panels previously part of furniture or embroidered textiles which have seen better occasions. Through joyous transformative processes these objects and materials are reborn as part of something new.
Work & Process- A film by Nicola Josse about my work
News
Winner of First Plinth Award 2023, Royal Society of Sculptors
Selected for UAL Decolonising Art Institute 20/20 Program, Residency at Lightbox, Woking as part of this
Recipient of Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England for the project 'Developing ceramics as part of sculptural work in the context of museum collections'.
'If objects could speak what would they tell us?' My blog about DYCP activity
My sculpture ‘Here to stay’ has recently been acquired as part of the Art Fund New Collecting Award, selected by Uthra Rajgopal (Independent Curator) and is now part of the permanent collection at the Whitworth, University of Manchester
Current/ upcoming Exhibitions
New Art Exchange Open 2023, New Art Exchange, Nottingham, May 20th- September 23rd
'Exchanges: Recent Additions to the Collection’ The Whitworth, Manchester until February 2023
The Stuff of Life The Life of Stuff, Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 8 September –14 January 2024
Recent Texts/ Interviews
'What we leave behind' an essay by Uthra Rajgopal, Independent Curator and Writer Specialist in South Asian Textiles
'Something to do with Art' Interview for podcast by Robert Good
'I wish my hair was as long as yours' brochure includes 'Somewhere Else' an essay by Dr Stephanie Straine, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh