As part of our Reading Room, we’ve been asking our artists in residence to choose their ‘would like to reads’ from the collection of books. These may relate to their art practice and might help inform their work and current thinking.
We spoke with current residency artist Fasiha Ashiq about their top 3 ‘would like to reads’:
- Cracks in the wall – Beyond apartheid in Palestine/ Israel by Ben White
- Voices from the jungle – stories from the Calais refugee camp
- Propaganda blitz – How the corporate Media Distort Reality by Davis Edwards and David Cromwell
Fasiha says she’s “picked these books as they share the voices of the people” and inform the work she has been creating during her residency with us.
Fasiha has been exploring telling stories through illustration, painting and paper cutting, highlighting the emotional and familial impact colonialism has had on identity and people like herself. Fasiha is a proud British Pakistani, but says she sometimes feels frustrated with the lack of awareness and understanding of the impact the creation of the border had between India and Pakistan. Recently, Fasiha has taken an interest in the juxtaposition between the aesthetic nature of papercut illustration and the potential dark stories that develop from post-colonial history. For her residency, Fasiha has been focusing on telling people’s stories through this medium, mimicking a physical intricate skill level that is ever present in South Asian craft.
You can find out more about Fasiha’s practice and residency here.
Want to check out the books Fasiha’s chosen? Pop by our Reading Room at Chauffeurs Cottage to browse all the books and borrow free of charge (Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm).
