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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250913T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260111T170000
DTSTAMP:20260422T132341
CREATED:20250901T154950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T155359Z
UID:10000565-1757757600-1768150800@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Ghafar Tajmohammad: If you throw a stone in the crowd\, someone’s going to get hurt
DESCRIPTION:Explore Ghafar Tajmohammad’s thought-provoking collection of paintings and hand-woven rugs\, called kilims\, reflecting on conflict\, home\, and the search for hope and resilience.\nBy combining painting\, hand-woven rugs\, and lived experiences\, Ghafar’s work responds to the ongoing global turmoil and its impact. Whilst seemingly distant\, such conflicts mark real lives\, especially those of civilians caught in the crossfire. Ghafar draws on his own experience of displacement as a British Afghan\, while also turning outward to wider struggles and shared hopes. \nCo-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025)\, produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nAbout the exhibition \nThe exhibition’s title comes from a proverb shared with Ghafar by a fellow Afghan while talking about the bombings in Afghanistan. \nToday\, the phrase feels even more powerful against the backdrop of global conflicts. For Ghafar\, it reflects both feelings of helplessness and the hope that expressing the collective “crowd” might encourage solidarity and social connection. \nGhafar’s work talks about ideas like home\, belonging\, and migration of people moving from one place to another. \nHis art looks closely at the experiences of people from the Afghan community who have moved to new places\, especially to the UK. He uses painting in new and different ways to share these stories. \nFull exhibition details \nWhat to expect \nOne of the works in this exhibition is a collection of hand-woven\, painted rugs\, called kilims\, named “Love Letters.” This personal piece was inspired by a workshop Ghafar co-led with ArtRefuge at a refugee camp in the UK. \nDuring this workshop\, he invited participants to write and draw their initials using both Arabic and English letters. This simple act of writing one’s own initials became a powerful way for people to express identity\, memory\, and presence. \n“Love Letters” begins with these initials as a starting point\, not only to acknowledge the individuals who took part\, but also to open the space for others. \nAnother highlight is “Dirt Upon My Head”. It is made from one large canvas stretched over several square frames. Each frame represents a single home\, and together they suggest a neighbourhood or city frozen in a moment of impact. The canvas stretches out from the centre\, giving a feeling of breaking or tearing. \nAbout Ghafar Tajmohammad \nGhafar is of Afghan heritage and was displaced as a small child. He grew up in Southeast London\, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting at Camberwell College of Arts and works as a Curatorial Project Manager at the Migration Museum. \nAbout Firstsite \nFirstsite is the East of England’s contemporary visual arts organisation where you can experience the most exciting developments in contemporary art\, and explore the rich artistic legacy cultivated by the East of England’s unique landscape and character. \nImage: Homage to Najia\, Fall of Kabul by Ghafar Tajmohammad\, courtesy of the artist.
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/ghafar-tajmohammad-if-you-throw-a-stone-in-the-crowd-someones-going-to-get-hurt/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, High Street\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Platforma,Visual Arts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Homage-To-Najia-Fall-Of-Kabul.jpeg
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251029
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251109
DTSTAMP:20260422T132341
CREATED:20250813T085833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250830T204200Z
UID:10000545-1761696000-1762646399@counterpoints.org.uk
SUMMARY:Touchstones
DESCRIPTION:Touchstone is a participatory arts project designed and led by artist Gillian Allard and funded by The Arts Council England and Suffolk County Council. \nPresented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025) produced by Counterpoints Arts. \nThe project is for anyone who feels ready to explore their feelings towards someone who has passed. Participants will use an unusual creative activity alongside the written word to help you create a personal tribute. There will be an art exhibition of the work for the Platforma Festival in Ipswich \nSt Elizabeth Hospice’s bereavement service LivingGrief\, will be partnering with Gillian for the project\, providing support throughout from trained volunteer bereavement counsellors. Writer Roua Horanieh and film-maker Hossam Fazulla will also work on the project. \nMore information is available from Gillian’s website. \nThe project begins in August 2025 and an exhibition of work created will be displayed at Custom House in Ipswich from 29 October – 8 November. \nFull programme\, including exhibition details\, coming soon. \n \n  \nGillian Allard is a photographic artist and educator from Suffolk\, with a passion for storytelling. Her background is in Photojournalism and she has a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art. In 2017 she became the winner of Sky Arts Master of Photography – a television contest based in Rome. Her journey has led her to create meaningful connections within communities\, including work with the Ipswich refugee community on the theme of ‘Belonging’ for the PhotoEast Festival. Her art invites participants to share their stories\, blending photography and personal narratives into powerful visual experiences using alternative photographic techniques. Her projects include landscape and still life that help her connect with herself and her own thoughts and feelings. \nImage: Mina by Gillian Allard
URL:https://counterpoints.org.uk/event/touchstones/
LOCATION:The Old Custom House\, Key Street\, Ipswich\, IP4 1BZ\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Photography,Platforma
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://counterpoints.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Touchstone-beachcover.jpg
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