Emii Alrai, 'A Core of Scar'

A Core of Scar preserves the legacy of a partnership project between The Hepworth Wakefield and Invia, who together commissioned artist Emii Alrai to create a work inspired by her own Iraqi heritage and Wakefield’s art collection.

The completed commission comprised a full-gallery installation, which was on display at The Hepworth Wakefield from 7 April to 4 September 2022.

Following the exhibition, a section of the work was offered for acquisition into Wakefield’s permanent art collection. It picks up on dominant narratives of British modern sculpture in the collection, such as the relationship of sculpture to body and landscape, found in the work of both Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.

Alrai’s work expands these references to include the diasporic experience, how landscapes and identities can shift and move yet retain markers of the past, expressed through material remnants and embodied experience.

The public has been able to experience A Core of Scar in The Hepworth Wakefield’s year-long exhibition, Magic in this Country: Hepworth, Moore & the Land (20 January 2023 – January 2024).

The exhibition explores how the landscape was of deep importance to both Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, and how a connection to the land has inspired generations of artists, including contemporary artists such as Emii Alrai.

The acquisition and immediate display of this work was an important statement about The Hepworth Wakefield’s commitment to supporting local artists and in collecting works by artist with diverse backgrounds and heritage. Over 50,000 people have seen Alrai’s work since it went back on display in January 2023.

In seeing a young female artist of Iraqi heritage represented in the collection, The Hepworth Wakefield has demonstrated that their gallery and collection are there for the widest possible audience to benefit from.