A North East university graduate is preparing to unveil her first UK solo exhibition placing the spotlight on identity, memory, and the feeling of being between cultures.
Anna-Marie Gallares, a Filipina artist who graduated with first-class honours in fine art from the University of Sunderland in 2023, will open her exhibition I Carry It With Me at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) on June 6.
Her paintings explore themes of migration, cultural in-betweenness, and the ways personal history and heritage shape perception.
Born in the Philippines and raised in the UK, her work reflects the feeling of being caught between two cultures.
Through acrylic paint and colour, she creates reconstructed memories on canvas, favouring emotional resonance over literal depictions.
Her approach blurs and sharpens specific elements within a painting, echoing the way certain moments remain vivid while others fade.
Bold, primary colours dominate her work, building a sense of nostalgia and inviting viewers to reflect on their own recollections.
The exhibition includes two distinct bodies of work.
In the gallery’s central space is A Year In My Life, a monumental, 18ft painted tapestry.
On the exterior walls are four recent large-scale paintings.
A Year In My Life was created for her BA degree show and is being exhibited publicly for the first time.
The tapestry uses pattern and narrative to illustrate 20 childhood memories from her first year in the UK.
It also incorporates Filipino tattoo designs inspired by 106-year-old artist Whang-od.
Three of the paintings were produced during her Artist Futures Fund residency at the University of Sunderland.
They revisit formative locations from her early childhood in the Philippines, reimagined after a family visit.
The fourth painting connects the exhibition to the present day, capturing the view from a bus stop in Cowgate, Newcastle - a place central to the artist’s life for the past 15 years.
Jon Weston, Curator at NGCA, said: "We are delighted to support Anna-Marie during a key period in her career.
"Over the last couple of years she has challenged and developed her artistic practice through in-depth personal research and continuous experimentation.
"This has led to Anna being awarded multiple recognitions including Breakthrough Artist Fellow for the Artist Futures Fund.
"Artwork produced during this residency period hosted by the University of Sunderland will be on display publicly for the first time alongside a pivotal tapestry produced for Anna’s final year BA Fine Art degree show.
"Anna’s work is deeply personal while simultaneously inviting viewers reflect on their own transitions in life.
"We look forward to welcoming visitors to Anna’s first public solo exhibition within the city that has been influential to Anna’s artistic career."
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In 2023, Gallares was awarded the New Graduate Award Residency at Middlesbrough Art Weekender.
She has also been shortlisted for the North East Emerging Artist Award 26/27, which will culminate in a group exhibition at Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland.
I Carry It With Me runs at the NGCA Collection Space from June 6 until July 31.
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