Coming Home Exhibition Opening X SiO Poetry Evening (Edinburgh)

Bee Asha

Artist Sophia Bharmal's large-scale oil pastel paintings complete the backdrop for an evening of SiO poetry and music by Nikihita.

Summerhall - Gallery Bar

The Spit it Out Festival 2023

Spit it Out are bringing together an incredible programme of Workshops, Talks, Exhibitions, Screenings and Live Performances focusing on how we discuss and create around the topics of consent, identity, mental health and transformative justice.

Join us in Summerhall's Gallery Bar for the exhibition opening of artist Sophia Bharmal and a beautiful lineup of BiPoC poets and performers who will explore their connection to Home, Identity and Culture. Coming Home by Sophia BharmalArtist Sophia Bharmal's work is rooted in an exploration of her British Indian Muslim background. It draws strongly from the complexity of heritage, their colonial past and the nearer horrors of associated extremism within the Islamic community and how this has impacted their representation. Sophia considers herself a visual mirror, attempting to break down pre-assumed notions and shedding light on the everydayness of life in her world. She uses her work to internally reconcile her own conflicts as a woman within her communities questioning her role and place of belonging. Using combined natural landscapes and home architecture Sophia tells stories rooted in the realities of being a Muslim woman yet distorted within a placeless paradise. Elements of her hidden community, moments of the country that colonised them and everyday conflicts derived from traditions exist in these places for singular examination. Sophia's body of work explores these themes through large-scale oil pastel and oil stick paintings. The layering of colour, fragmented detailing and multidimensionality of the pieces are used to evoke tension and tightness. Craving an understanding of the constant negotiation and claustrophobia felt in existing within these carefully balanced communities. The composition itself is cautiously constructed, using symbols and veils to carefully reveal moments of conflict while hiding that which is still unresolvable. Colour is key to the new worlds that Sophia is creating, the combination of both warm and cool pallets further displace the viewer straddling them between unknown location.Expect poetry and performance from some of the Spit it Out's communityJJ FadakaJj Fadaka is a writer, workshop facilitator and radical based in Edinburgh. Her writing explores the possibility community, feminism, and love give us to create change. Her workshops draw on feminist and black radical traditions to create space for exploring our desires in a world without barriers. Jj uses poetry and art to speak to the political demands of marginalised people whilst centring community and joy-making in mapping the struggles against these. Etzali HernandezEtzali Hernández (they/them) is a non-binary Latinx queer fierce femme poet, coder and DJ. Their work has been published in Ascend Magazine, Poetry and Settled Status for All, We Were Always Here: A Queer Words Anthology and Ceremony. Etzali's first poetry pamphlet, 'from murky waters, we rise,' was published by Forest Publications in 2022.R﻿oshni GallagherRoshni Gallagher is a poet from Leeds living in Edinburgh. Her debut pamphlet Bird Cherry is published by Verve Poetry Press. She is a winner of the 2022 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award and Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award. Her work has appeared in a variety of literary publications including Best Scottish Poems, Butcher’s Dog, New Writing Scotland, Propel, and more. In her work, she explores themes of nature, memory, and quietness.Bee AshaBee Asha shares her own personal experiences as she opens up about trauma and finds power in the pain. She is an advocate for mental health and consent and uses her poetry and spoken word as a tool for tapping into her emotions. Bee hosts creative writing workshops and provides creative ways to tackle difficult conversations, helping people to cope with their experiences.Hannah Lavery Hannah Lavery is an award-winning poet and playwright. Her poems are born of a fearless and unflinching interrogation into heritage, race, identity and the nature of belonging. Lean and challenging, her work is driven by honesty and energy of surprising power and immediacy.NikhitaNikhita is an artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland- with a blended sound rooted in Soul/R&B, and influence pulled from her South Asian identity. With material underpinned by delicate vocals and a strong, storytelling-type lyricism, Nikhita’s debut single “Aphrodite” went on to earn her the title of “BBC Introducing Artist of The Week” on BBC Asian Network. Inspired by an array of artists, such as Joy Crookes, Ms Lauryn Hill, Raveena, and Jhené Aiko- Nikhita brings her own sound to the table and hopes you find solace in her art. Summerhall, Gallery Bar 15+ | Content: heritage, colonial past, Islamic community, femininity. Wheelchair accessible | Sober space Pay As You Can Spaces are limited so please only book a ticket if you can make it. If your plans change, please let us know and we can offer the ticket to someone on our waitlist.By registering for this event you are agreeing to photographs and videos being taken. Some of the imagery may end up on social media providing a visual overview of the event. If you would prefer not to be included, please inform one of the Spit it Out team at the event.

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