Transnational

Transnational brings together five years of PhD practice-based research from artist Elizabeth Ransom focusing on the intersection of migration, feminism, and alternative photographic processes. This exhibition explores the complex experience of transnationality for migrant women. Transnationality is an individual experience often felt by those who have their feet in two lands. This movement across continents contributes to feelings of loss, displacement, and calls into question definitions of belonging, home, and identity.

Throughout the exhibition themes of homesickness, place attachment, belonging and memory will be revealed through artworks created using alternative photographic processes such as soil chromatography, cyanotype, film soup, and frottage photograms. Abstraction within the photographic work is juxtaposed with handwritten letters from migrant women revealing what it is like to live far away from home. Many of the art works take on an autobiographical narrative as the artist explores her own lived experience of migration and how that has impacted on her own identity and sense of self.

Featuring works by Ransom including Homesick (2021-2022), The Woods (2021-2022), Immigration Day (2019), and Migrant Stories (2024). Ransom explores the complications of being in between. Both Migrant Stories and Homesick would not have been made possible without the generous contributions from the 14 migrant women and non-binary artists who shared their incredible stories and experiences of migration as part of this research. Thank you to Roxana Alison, Anonymous, Hady Barry, Nuria Castro, Taryn Ferguson, Mimi Fuenzalida, Vera Hadzhiyska, Cindy Lin, Antonina Mamzenko, Nastja Nefjodov, Noemi, Zula Rabikowska, Anna Watkins, and Virginia Woods-Jack. Further contributions from four case studies Odette England, María Martínez-Cañas, Dafna Talmor and Izabela Pluta were integral in the research of this thesis. With many thanks to Professor Jean Wainwright and Professor Anna Fox who advised this PhD and James Wright for his contribution to the Migrant Stories sound piece.

To accompany this exhibition there will be an artist talk and private view held in the James Hockey Gallery on the 5 December at 4pm as well as the Transnational Reading Group inspired by Sara Ahmed’s text Home and away: Narratives of migration and estrangement on the 3 December 2024, 1-2pm.

Artist Talk and Private View:
Date: 5 December 2024 from 4pm
Location: James Hockey Gallery

Following the opening of our upcoming exhibition Transnational, hear artist Elizabeth Ransom reveal the processes and inspirations behind many of the art works included in this new exhibition. Ransom will share her experience of transnationality and how her migration has impacted on her artistic practice as well as what it was like to work with 14 migrant women in the research for her PhD thesis. Join us after the artist talk for the private view of Transnational to celebrate the opening of Ransom’s exhibition. 

Transnational Reading Group: 
Date: Tuesday 10 December 2024 from 1-2pm
Location: James Hockey Gallery

This reading group will explore the text Home and away: Narratives of migration and estrangement by Sara Ahmed. Facilitated by artist and researcher Elizabeth Ransom, the artist and participants will read extracts from Ahmed’s empowering article where she examines the relationship between migration and identity and complicates the definition of home. Prior knowledge of texts is not necessary as it will be read and discussed in the session. All are welcome.

About the artist:

Elizabeth Ransom is an artist, researcher and curator based between the Pacific Northwest and the South of England. She is a PhD candidate at the University for the Creative Arts (2019-2025). As an artist and researcher, Elizabeth takes from her own lived experiences of migration to explore homesickness and transnationality. Her research builds on theories of migration, place attachment, and declarative episodic memory, particularly from the perspective of the migrant woman. Her work has been exhibited internationally in the UK, India, Mexico, China and the US.

Ransom is the Founder and Director of Women Alternative Photography Group. Women Alternative Photography Group is a feminist research project celebrating women, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, and gender-diverse artists from all backgrounds working with alternative photographic processes. Founded in March 2023, the Women Alternative Photography Group aims to foster the development of new knowledge and research, promote and support marginalised groups, and create a community of likeminded people.

Website: https://www.elizabethransom.com
Instagram: @elizabethransom