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A photograph of the outside of Cartwright Hall art gallery. Osman Yousefzada's installation covers a statue in front of the gallery, in a blue textile-like material.
Free

3 May – 13 Oct 2024

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery

Where It Began

Osman Yousefzada

A personal look at migration, identity and community.

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Osman Yousefzada took a deeply personal look at migration, identity and community in this special solo exhibition, forming part of the countdown to Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

Where It Began invited us to consider themes of class, immigration and colonialism. The title serves as a metaphor that spans across timelines, from the historical relationships between the British Empire and South Asia to the arrival in Bradford of Yousefzada’s father during the wave of Commonwealth migration in the 1960s. It also speaks to the history of labour at Crofts Engineers and ideas of belonging, identity and home.

Where It Began presented work both inside and outside Cartwright Hall Art Gallery. The hall showcases handcrafted textiles, sculptures and new wrapped artworks – while outside in Lister Park, Yousefzada has given Diana the Huntress an unexpected new adornment. 

Bringing together works from Yousefzada’s recent solo show at the V&A with new works created especially for Bradford, Where It Began is the first of several events presented by Bradford 2025 leading up to our year as UK City of Culture. 

Find out more about Osman Yousefzada at osmanstudio.com.

Audio description

Explore the exhibition through our audio described tour. Listen to a detailed description of the exhibition spaces and the artworks in them, from the installation outside Cartwright Hall Art Gallery into the ground floor and up to the first floor.

Listen to the audio described tour.

Credits
Presented in partnership between Bradford District Museums & Galleries and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. 

Lead image: Possession 1, © David Lindsay
An image of an artwork on a white wall. The artwork is made up of dark rope material which flows onto the gallery floor.
Image: Where It Began 2024, © David Lindsay
A photograph of the outside of Cartwright Hall art gallery. Osman Yousefzada's installation covers a statue in front of the gallery, in a blue textile-like material.
Image: Possession 1, © David Lindsay
A photograph of the interior of Cartwright Hall gallery, showing several artworks, including a black boat and a statue covered in chintz fabric.
Image: Where It Began 2024, © David Lindsay

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