Kaleidoscopic Realms: questioning disability representation in museums and galleries

'Kaleidoscopic Realms', installation view featuring Cameron Morgan
'Kaleidoscopic Realms', installation view featuring Nnena Kalu and Siddharth Gadiyar

Nottingham Castle's 'Kaleidoscopic Realms' presents an installation of artworks by eight contemporary artists revealing a colourful insight into intuitive mark-marking in its many forms, alongside films made about the artists and their practice. The featured artists have all travelled different paths to firmly ground themselves within their art practice, each with a distinctive style.

The A-Team (part of the 'Many of the TV Screens Everywhere' series)

Unfettered explorations of repetition, pattern, detail and culture weave their way into the artwork. A clear sense of storytelling and play often features, whilst others just ooze the pure joy of mark-making and material investigations. Ceramics, embroidery, pen drawings and large-scale painted canvases invite closer viewing, whilst an impressive installation of bold, wrapped sculptures entices you with its strong presence.

Co-curated by Jennifer Gilbert of Jennifer Lauren Gallery and disabled artist Christopher Samuel, the exhibition runs alongside a programme of workshops, talks and live events exploring who triumphs as an artist, who gets to be exhibited in galleries and why. 'Kaleidoscopic Realms' is designed to challenge preconceived ideas, and to stimulate conversation, interaction and inclusion. This exhibition was born out of project SHIFT, from Jennifer Lauren Gallery, which exists to give recognition and amplify the visibility, voices and works of UK-based neurodivergent and learning-disabled visual artists within contemporary art.

The exhibiting artists are Siddharth Gadiyar, James Gladwell, Thompson Hall, Richard Hunt, Nnena Kalu, Cameron Morgan, Michelle Roberts and Leslie Thompson. Each of these artists work out of studios across the UK. These studios tirelessly support not only these but many other incredibly talented artists.

This exhibition had access, empowerment – as well as acceptance without prejudice – built in from the outset. Where possible, artists (or their family members/studio facilitators) were involved in their artwork selection, in choosing wall colours, in deciding what event they would like to run in the space. For learning-disabled and neurodivergent artists, this is a rarity. But for myself and co-curator Christopher, this was non-negotiable and of the utmost importance, alongside the language used and the accessibility of this language – Braille, BSL and Easy Read. We commissioned autistic artist Anna Farley to create a sensory visual map alongside hand-held boards that break down information on each artist and their practice in simplified ways for wider audiences. Texts have been commissioned on each artist by curators, directors and writers, to allow audiences to view this work through the eyes of respected and recognised art world people, to help dispel the stigma that still exists.

Finally, a film was commissioned and is available to view within the space and online, where Christopher and I talk about the relevance of this show in a museum space. The focus is on the lack of disability representation in mainstream venues and artists being programmed, regardless of their art education background.

Co-curator Christopher says: 'I think what's important here is take the content, remove any labels. You put these works alongside established, well-known artists, these works can sit on their own merit. I think curators, galleries, organisations need to take a leaf out of this book and think of ways to include artists who are, I feel, side-lined, on the margins. Lack of inclusion creates bad perceptions. Giving work by disabled, learning disabled or neurodivergent artists the same respect, space and audience is so important to stop it being seen as "other" or of lesser or different value.'

In the pale grey room is the work of Nnena Kalu of ActionSpace, a powerhouse who is not afraid of colour and is the queen of wrapping and rhythmic circular movements. Process is pivotal to her practice, alongside colour and material selection. She creates two dense drawings simultaneously (occasionally three), moving effortlessly from one to the other, over a two-day period. It is mesmerising watching her work, following the rhythms made through the drawings. The yellow paper drawings on show, look like huge vortexes that invite you to dive in. Her 'poppy' sculptural pieces are often born from older works that Nnena reworks and embellishes with further layers, colours and bulbous forms: these bold totemic pieces are some of her largest to date, reworked especially for this show. Some of new newer works feature a knotting technique, building up layered, brightly coloured netted fabric strips.

In the blue room, you will find Cameron Morgan whose creations reference objects he collects, things he likes to watch or has seen in his locality. When Cameron was told news of this exhibition, he got straight to work creating a new body of work focusing on his love of old cameras. He explores the subject through various mediums, in bright vivid colours and graphic forms, including bold depictions of old cameras on canvases in oil paint and watercolour. His fresh, zingy out-of-the-kiln glazed cameras share his love of ceramics alongside his newer enjoyment of embroidery, which has been implemented for the bright camera straps.

Two personal favourites are the Say Cheese ceramic, with a lump of cheese in place of the camera button, and a mouse alongside another chunk of cheese on the back of the camera. The second is Watch the Birdy, with a fabulous funky bird sat atop the ceramic, and an embroidered cat on the bright-yellow camera strap.

This exhibition is bright, joyful and happy. It is a space for inclusion, a space for conversations and most importantly a space for incredible art. We can't wait for you to see it!

Jennifer Gilbert, co-curator of 'Kaleidoscopic Realms' and Director at Jennifer Lauren Gallery

'Kaleidoscopic Realms' is on display at Nottingham Castle Museum & Art Gallery until 3rd November 2024. Please visit the Jennifer Lauren Gallery website to learn more and for an accessibility hub including information in BSL and Easy Read

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