These are some of the artists involved in creating the artworks for the Scottish BLM Mural Trail. This page will be updated as more come on board. They come from a wide range of backgrounds (including Cape Verdi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan/Harris, USA), some trained, some self taught, combining youth and experience, individuals and artist collectives – all uniquely talented. A huge thank you to all of them for contributing their amazing skills to this project.
AYO ADEDEJI – Quakers Meeting House, Edinburgh
Ayo Adedeji was born In Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the UK at one years old. A self taught artist, based in Edinburgh. Ayo creates his images using traditional graphite pencils, charcoal and transfers these images onto various digital platforms MORE INFO
TAYO ADEKUNLE – Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Tayo is a British Nigerian photographer based in Edinburgh. Working a lot with self-portraiture, she uses her work to explore issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality as well as racial and colonial history. Her work is centred around reworkings of historical tropes relating to the black female body, the relationship between the treatment of the black female body in the past and in the present day. MORE INFO
BEATRICE AJAYI – Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh
With West African heritage, fine artist and illustrator Beatrice Ajayi was born in Scotland. Having both cultures laced into her upbringing gave her a perspective that is creative, refreshing and unique. Her animation is akin to African Anime, the piece captures what it’s like to be a black Scottish child. MORE INFO
SAOIRSE AMIRA ANIS – Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh
Saoirse’s creative process is inspired by her fascination with interconnectedness and movement in both everyday life, and her cultural heritage. She considers the potential that lies in caring for ourselves and others, and the extent to which this nurturing can benefit us both personally and politically. MORE INFO
JACQUELINE BRIGGS – Eden Court Theatre, Inverness
23 year old creator from the Highlands of Scotland and a recent graduate of Illustration from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. Half Scottish, half Papua New Guinean. Jacqueline illustration and design is bold and use a mixture of traditional and digital techniques. MORE INFO
RACHEL DALLAS – Gulp, Shawlands, Glasgow
Born and raised in Glasgow, with dual USA and UK Citizenship and Trinidadian lineage. Rachel is an experienced IT analyst and designer. Rachel set up a crowdfunder for her murals in the Southside of Glasgow which raised nearly £2000 towards art materials in a few days.
ANNIE GEORGE – Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Annie is an Edinburgh-based writer, theatremaker and filmmaker, born in Kerala India, who has worked in Scottish theatre since 1991. She was awarded the Ignite Fellowship 2019 and the 2016 Inspiring Scotland Bursary. Recent productions include ‘Twa’, and ‘Home is Not the Place’ . MORE INFO
NEDA GHAFFAR – King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Scottish Pakistani artist born and raised on the Isle of Harris. Neda builds up her works over time, using a variety of materials and technique incorporating circles and rows of simple shapes standing in wonderful bright colours side by side in solidarity, as a way of representing BAME people. MORE INFO
TONY KALISA – Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh
Tony Brown Kalisa is an 18 year old self taught graphic artist, born in Uganda he has called Edinburgh his home for 4 years. His style utilities a variety of images and techniques to build a design made up of many layers. Tony’s creative practice is continually inspired by his mother who raised him as a single parent with African values in a western context. MORE INFO
RUDY KANHYE – Edinburgh Queen’s Hall
Rudy Kanhye is a French Artist, curator and writer. Masters graduate of Glasgow school of Art, Rudy developed his practice around the dialogue between cultures, people, past, present and what the future could be. Working primarily with themes related to identity, history, and popular culture. His work focuses on framing and context. MORE INFO
STEVEN KHAN (STMC STUDIO) – Theatre Royal Glasgow
Creative writer, artist, editorial and commercial photographer, based in Glasgow. Steven was born in Kirkcaldy, studied photography in Fife and Anglia Ruskin University. Steven is an equality activist whose work centres around his lived experience as a queer BAME artist in Scotland. MORE INFO
HEPHZIBAH KILBRIDE – Linlithgow Pottery, Linlithgow
Zibah is an artist creating and teaching in Linlithgow. She holds a bachelor in Fine Arts from Maine college of Art where she majored in Ceramics. Her work has been shown in galleries in the USA and in Scotland. She owns and runs The Creative Workshop where she teaches full classes and workshops in Ceramics, both on the potter’s wheel and sculptural/hand building, as well as Printmaking MORE INFO
ETIENNE KUBWABO – Platform Theatre, Glasgow
Etienne is a filmmaker and comic book artist originally from D.R. of Congo. He studied Film and Communication at Glasgow Caledonian University. He has directed music videos for artists in Scotland, Sweden, Belgium, short films and a recent documentary Scotland’s Memoir with the collaboration of the Scottish Government. He is currently working on his new feature film and developing Issue 2 of DJ E.T comic book. MORE INFO
JEDA PEARL LEWIS – Museum of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Jeda Pearl is a Scottish-Jamaican writer & poet and a Programme Manager for the Scottish BAME Writers Network. In 2019, she was awarded Cove Park’s Emerging Writer Residency and shortlisted for the Bridge Awards. Her writing is published by TSS Publishing, Momaya Press, Tapsalteerie and Shoreline of Infinity. MORE INFO
CHRISTIAN NOELLE CHARLES – St Andrew’s University Library, St Andrews
Christian Noelle Charles is a Black Female Artist currently living and working in Glasgow, Scotland. A Syracuse, New York native, Christian’s work is an exploration of female representation and self-love in a contemporary world. Christian takes inspiration from today’s pop culture, modern performance techniques, and personal experiences. She also derives inspiration as a video performance artist from the relationship between performer and audience member. MORE INFO
SEKAI MACHACHE – Sharing Not Hoarding, Slessor Gardens, Dundee
Sekai Machache is a visual artist and curator. Her work is a deep interrogation of the notion of self. Having been born in Zimbabwe and raised in Scotland, she has a particular interest in W.E.B Dubois’ notion of Double Consciousness, which expresses the psychological challenge of having African heritage whilst living in the West. MORE INFO
ABZ MILLS – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
Abigail Mills aka Abz, is a queer Scottish-Jamaican tattoo and graffiti artist from Kirkcaldy. Abz has been an artist since childhood, always able to visualise and create ideas… Having been tattooing for over 9 years, Abz works in Glasgow, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy in a bright, colourful and thought provoking style. MORE INFO
FARAH NAZLEY – North Edinburgh Arts, Edinburgh
Farah is an Edinburgh artist who works in watercolour, acrylic, pastel, collage and charcoal. As a disabled woman of South East Asian heritage, Farah has lived experience of racism and discrimination which is often reflected in her work. In 2019 her work featured in the Out of Sight, Out of Mind exhibition at Summerhall.
SUKHY PARHAR – Botanic Gardens, St Andrews
Sukhy is a mixed race, non-binary transfemme multidisciplinary artist. Her existing corpus of work has incorporated themes exploring sexuality, sensuality, spirituality, identity, and ecofeminism. Her work is framed through her own intersection of identities, and her experiences navigating the world as a QTIPOC, encouraging dialogue around often perceived as difficult themes, through the medium of art. MORE INFO
ADEBUSOLA RAMSAY – Edinburgh Printmakers ,Edinburgh
Adebusola, born in Nigeria, lives and works in Glasgow. An abstract artist, whose practice has developed over the last 20 years. Her art takes form in painting and printmaking, working mostly with acrylics and features evocative colour contrast and textural detail. She explores different forms of mark-making to create new perspectives in irregular line and colour patterns. MORE INFO
THE NEON REQUIEM – Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
Rudy aka “The Neon Requiem” is a graphic artist of Cape Verdean and Portuguese origin. Moved to Inverness at age 12 from his hometown of Lisbon. His work is inspired by the LGBT community of which he is proudly part of and his parents. MORE INFO
KOKUMO FADEKE ROCKS – Writers Museum, Edinburgh
Kokumo was raised in Cowdenbeath. She describes herself as an African/Asian /Scottish writer and performance poet, and has performed in the UK, USA, India and Africa. Her collections Bad Ass Raindrop (2002), Stolen From Africa (2007), and Happily Drowning (2019) were published by Luath Press. MORE INFO
SUZANNE WILLIAMS – University of Stirling, Stirling
A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone art college, Suzanne is a fine artist with a strong focus on those people and places she feels connected to as to her this is where the true beauty and scope of the human experience can be found. Primarily working with oils and canvas, her work also includes installations and sculpture. MORE INFO
MATILDA WILLIAMS-KELLY – Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee
Tilda is working to infuse a modern and unique perspective with more traditional techniques. Her work stems from interest in the hybrid formation of classic oil painting and traditional methods like life drawing within a contemporary dialogue that she aims to connect with the viewers of her paintings. She creates work that is vibrant, drawing inspiration from her family members and friends as models and subjects of her ideas. MORE INFO
JAMAL YUSSUFF-ADELAKUN – PAPAJGUN PHOTOGRAPHY – The Hub Edinburgh
British born Nigerian; Grew up in London till the age 4, moved to Lagos until age 18 . Now based in Edinburgh, a music lover and photographer His daughter Lola (model) Nigerian Scottish, 12 year old, sister, dancer, musician MORE INFO