Island Darkroom presents CEARNS, an exhibition featuring the work of award-winning Isle of Lewis photographer Deljeem Rai. This marks Deljeem Rai’s first solo exhibition and his first public appearance on his home island.
Deljeem Rai, a Nepalese photographer, currently balances his studies at the Glasgow School of Art with his home on the Isle of Lewis. His work has received significant recognition, including the British Photography Magazine British Portrait Prize 2023 and 2024, and a finalist in the Scottish Portrait Prize 2023. His photographs have been exhibited across Scotland at renowned galleries such as the Scottish Art Club in Edinburgh, the Kirkcudbright Gallery in Dumfries and Galloway, and the Glasgow Art Club.
Through sensitive portraiture and environmental photography, he explores themes of identity, belonging and community. Deljeem uses the medium of photography to delve deeper into his experience of living with a dual identity as a Nepalese and Scottish national and reconnect with his childhood in Nepal, a part of his identity he lost touch with after moving to the UK as a teenager. His experience of cross-cultural migration is evident in his work, which deconstructs the meaning of belonging.
This project arose from Deljeem’s desire to explore his connection and identity in Cearns, a small housing estate in Stornoway. Growing up in Nepal gave him a strong ethnic identity and sense of self, a sense that was affected after migrating to Scotland, where his desire to fit in with his adopted country caused him to distance himself from that identity. However, living in Cearns, Deljeem found a new sense of belonging in a community. There, he and his family became part of a community that felt strongly connected to each other and that supported and welcomed them. By portraying the Cearns family through portraits of the people who lived there and environmental photography, he hoped to create a sense of pride in those who lived there, seeing themselves and their home represented in a way that reflected their strong community values.
Island Darkroom is a photography gallery with roots in traditional processes. Founded in 2018 by award-winning photographer Mhairi Law, Island Darkroom attracts exciting and diverse work to the island from across the UK through a programme of exhibitions, events and artist residencies. As well as showcasing and sharing the work of contemporary artists, Mhairi keeps traditional skills at the forefront by hosting regular workshops on analogue darkroom processes.
Based in the village of Achmore in the centre of the Isle of Lewis, Dark Island Room overlooking undulating peatland, with lake holes to the Harris and Uig hills. The decision to build this creative space here came from a love of the stunning surroundings and a desire to create a modern, rural creative hub.
CEARNS will be on view at Island Darkroom until 26 July 2024. While many of our readers may not be able to travel to a small island in the Scottish Highlands to see the exhibition this summer, stories from far-flung places are no less important than those shown in mainstream galleries and deserve to be shared with a wider audience. Look to independent photography galleries when you travel to find new perspectives to connect with.
All images in this article were taken by Deljeem Rai in medium format, 2022, in progress.
