We were delighted to welcome exhibiting artist Susan Aldworth to an artist talk to learn more about her current exhibition here at the Hub, EXILE: sono oriunda and her artistic practice.

Exploring family history and the impact of immigration, Susan Aldworth’s latest exhibition, EXILE: sono oriunda takes a close examination of her family’s history of immigration and the impact it’s had on their lives.

The exhibition, which is a collaboration between Aldworth, the Royal School of Needlework, and the Sleaford Embroiderers, showcases a collection of antique clothing that has been embellished with photographs, hand-embroidered family stories, and recipes. The garments hang from the ceiling like a three-dimensional religious painting, and each tells a story of migration and exile.

At the heart of the exhibition is the story of Luigia Berni, Aldworth’s grandmother, who left Italy in 1923 with a small baby and a suitcase, in search of a better life in London. Her journey, and the journeys of so many others like her, is one that has been repeated for centuries. Many families in the UK include a story of migration in their history and while there is evidence of the positive impact immigration has on cultural and economic life in the UK, being from a migrant background can still affect life chances and well-being, as it carries stigma and prejudice.