Masala Festival – Care / Work: An Exhibition by Nayeema Ahmed
Image details: Joy, Orchard Mews, oil on tissue roll, 2025
Preview: Wednesday 8th July 2026, 5-8pm
Open: Thursday 9th July – Saturday 1st August
This exhibition is completely free to visit – just drop in from Wednesday to Saturday, 12-5pm.
About the exhibition
Care/Work is an exhibition of work by recent Northumbria University graduate, North East based artist, Nayeema Ahmed. A British-Bangladeshi artist whose work is rooted in an exploration of femininity and labour, her work spans a range of mediums and is often inventive in its nature. Growing up in a culture in which art is discouraged has influenced Ahmed's playful outlook - with non-standard media common throughout her work. Ahmed's work is often personal, interrogating her own relationship with themes such as gender, ethnicity and culture.
The 'Givers' series brings to life the faces of daily care through portraiture, a medium historically reserved to display nobility or fame. Each woman is depicted on kitchen roll, similarly elevating an everyday material used in providing care. The series is a reflection on the societal standing of women in the care industry, many of whom are immigrants.
A further series, 'Mother', is a reflection on the artist's childhood and the intersection between Britain, South Asia and care. It is a deeply personal series which investigates what domestic care means to her. Each material used as a canvas - such as clay, tin foil, wood, sari fabric, plastic - is indicative of an aspect of motherhood in Britain or Bangladesh.
'Changing' is a screenprinted fabric installation, with six different colours of each length of material adorned with a range of motifs to represent the seasons of Bangladesh: Grishsho (Summer), Borsha (Monsoon), Shorot (Autumn), Hemonto (Late Autumn), Sheet (Winter), and Boshonto (Spring). The objects depicted are drawn from memories or feelings from the artist's time with family in Bangladesh, and which serve as portrayals of the community-based care common in South Asian communities such as food, flowers and pots.
Nayeema Ahmed was born in Sunderland in 2002. She graduated from Northumbria University with a BA in Fine Art in 2025, in which time her work was exhibited alongside other graduating students at Vane as well as being part of a public exhibition for Refugee Week 2025 at Gateshead Central Exchange window gallery at Orbis Community West Street, Gateshead.
In Nayeema's own words – "As a woman, and a first-generation Briton whose parents immigrated from Bangladesh before having their first child, I have long been fascinated by the relationship between gender, ethnicity and labour. I am particularly drawn to the quiet, often unseen forms of care that are vital in both households and the workforce. These roles, while essential, are frequently shaped by cultural expectations and economic necessity. Through this work, I seek to explore how identity, value, and recognition are felt within these spaces."
'Care/Work' is presented by GemArts and Vane as part of Masala Festival 2026.
About Masala Festival
GemArts' award-winning Masala Festival returns from 13th – 19th July for its 10th anniversary, bringing a vibrant mix and blend of the finest South Asian arts and culture to the North East. Enjoy an incredible programme of performances, exhibitions, events, workshops, talks, pop-ups, and of course, delicious Indian food in venues, places and spaces across the region. Don't miss this special milestone year!
For the full Masala Festival 2026 programme, visit www.gemarts.org/whatson
Nearest Metro: Gateshead
| Date | Wednesday 15th July 2026 |
| Cost | FREE event - just drop in |
| Venue | Vane |
| Address | Orbis Community, 65 High Street, Gateshead, NE8 2AP |
