The exhibition of portrait drawings will link to films that have been made about the portraiture project
that began at the YMCA at Red Road, Springburn, Glasgow, in 2012 and has continued up to the present day.
This involved a collaboration between myself , Artist in Residence with Gramnet, and the residents and visitors
to the drop-in at the YMCA, which was then located on the 14th floor of a tower block in Springburn.
The sitters were all refugees and asylum-sekkers.It was a very popular project, resulting in over 600 portraits.
The purpose of the portait-making evolved over time from being a simple diversion, and a way of welcoming
people, to giving an insight into the lives of one of the most misunderstood, and often maligned sections
of the Scottish community.There is a larger immigrant community in Glasgow than anywhere else in Scotland.
