Over the past week and in celebration of National Women's Day, Battersea Power Station invited Somali women artists to showcase their voices and identity through the medium of creativity. Topics depicted in the artworks were evocative of the deep feelings rooted within the diaspora regarding issues of belonging, war and what it means to be a women in the Somali culture. Below are some examples of the artworks depicted.
"The Smell of Home" by Elays Network, shows a Somali woman in traditional clothing and jewlery, lighting a Somali style incense burner with the word "Somalia' wafting out.
Illustration by Asha Mohamed incorporating Somali language into her work. Her work is satirical and often comments on the passage of time.
Print by Elays Network showcasing the connectedness of the Islamic religion with Somali culture and heritage. The print on the left, called "Entwined", shows three women praying with the Word "Allah" in their faces, and the print on the right called "Masjid" shows a Muslim place of prayer in beautifully bold colours.
"Think Peace" by Elays Network represents the well known inter-community stereotypical idea of men in Somali coffee-shops discussing political issues in an abstracted manner.
"Apolitical" by Asha Mohmed represents the issue of identity from the perspective of a Somali-Brit member of the diaspora.
"Nihilistic" by Qansa Oman is an abstract painting commenting on the co-existance of perfection and imperfection. Her work is an intricate combination of Islamic geometry and western abstraction.
"Fading Culture" by Elays Network shows a Somali Woman in traditional clothing and a hijab holding a flag fading into a grey, gritty background. It is a stark commentary on the loss of Somali identity felt by many young Somalis living in Britain.