Nationhood: Memory and Hope at Impressions Gallery

Curated by Anne McNeill, Director of Impressions Gallery, Nationhood: Memory and Hope is an exciting new collection of photography celebrating diversity in the UK today.

This unique exhibition centers around ‘The Necessity of Seeing’, a major new collection of constructed images by celebrated photographer Aïda Muluneh. Shot through the photographer’s surrealist lens at iconic locations across the UK, Muluneh’s new work is said to reveal the overlooked stories, forgotten histories and quiet moments that shape who we are. Visitors may also be familiar with one particular aspect of the exhibition A Portrait of Us – Muluneh’s potent black and white photographs of unsung community heroes from the same four cities which were initially portrayed on billboards around Bradford in 2024.

In addition the show presents a selection of striking new portraits by seven rising stars in UK photography – Shaun Connell, Roz Doherty, Chad Alexander, Robin Chaddah-Duke, Grace Springer, Miriam Ali and Haneen Hadiy. These pieces thread together a common theme of community and highlight how they have organically been shaped and grown down through generations of immigration.

At Spectrum we were excited to work on this dynamic showcase as print and mount sponsor, producing a variety of studio prints onto KAPA. Collaborating with such an exciting group of visual artists enables us to push the boundaries of our creative offerings and gain a deeper understanding on the future of photography in the UK.

The show is an initiative from Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture and Impressions Gallery, running until April 26th before touring throughout the rest of the year to Belfast Exposed, Ffotogallery, Cardiff and Street Level Photoworks, Glasgow. Admission is free.