Join us for the preview of Pinar Yildiz: Between the Lines, to unveil the new large-scale photographic artwork opening on HOME's exterior facade, from Fri 13 June.
This preview offers the opportunity to see the exhibition on Fri 13 Jul from 18.00 – 19:00.
Drop in to HOME’s Ground Floor Cafe bar to join us at the preview, accompanied by a live performance from Mara Cruz, thanks to Purple Collective.
Through new photographic work, Yildiz revisits an earlier project created in 2019 in the streets of the old town of Mardin, Turkey; SELF PORTRAITS. Replicating her process and methods of capturing light, public spaces at night and her own physicality through photography, this time in Manchester Yildiz explores what it means to her work to be made in a different city.
Drawing on the impact of a changed environment on her practice, and her experience of adopting new layers to her identity through migration, Yildiz’s work invites audiences to relook at our city with “outsider’s eyes.” Yildiz inserts herself as both director and subject to craft an artwork which reveals her reflections on connection to place and experiences of expansive time. Yildiz presents her creative practice as a tool to exert control over her new environment and reflects on her use of photography as a methodology to build connection to place and maintain a sense of agency when navigating many new and unfamiliar experiences faced through migration.
Yildiz says “When I first moved to Manchester, everything felt different, and I had to rediscover myself while connecting with this new place. Over time, I found a way to reconnect with my inner self. In Between the Lines, I attempt to connect my past and my future through the spaces I have experienced. As these environments change dramatically, so do I. Through photography and manipulation, I reveal the feelings shaping my inner world and capture this inner journey. I strive to create an aesthetic unity, a visual bond that reflects the evolution of my identity. I see my art as a bridge linking my past, present, and future. I believe that art can help us find unity in diversity. Capturing and conveying the traces of my emotions is my main goal. I hope viewers connect with their own inner worlds and experience deep emotions.”
This new artwork is commissioned and curated for our 2025 Horizons Festival Programme by HOME and Community Arts North West as part of a series of artist commissions created to support Manchester-based artists with lived experience of displacement to make new work. These opportunities are supported by HOME’s Creative Engagement Practitioners.
Pinar Yildiz
Pinar Yildiz is a photographer originally from Turkey.
Yildiz is part of an artist collective originating in Turkey called 9dokuz dergi, which has been going for many years and is internationally exhibited. Members of the collective are currently working on a project called DUYGU MEKANLARI Spaces of Emotions, an ongoing project across mediums including photography, video, text, and collage and 2 dimensional work.
Two years ago, she moved to Manchester. Prior to this, she spent seven years teaching near the Syrian border in Turkey before founding her company, specializing in photography and graphic design.
Mara Cruz:
Angolan multi-instrumentalist Mara Cruz moves fluidly between bass and guitar, creating a sound that is vibrant, spiritual, and richly textured. Inspired by African rhythms, soul, and the fluidity of nu-jazz, her music channels both emotion and movement. Beginning her musical journey early in life, Mara plays with a deep sense of intuition. She delicately layers groove, colour, and improvisation in a practice rooted in creative freedom and self-expression.
Purple Collective:
Purple Collective is a growing community of artists and creators, carving out the contemporary sound of the diaspora in the UK. With a focus on championing underrepresented and specifically diasporic voices, their work spans dynamic live programming—including residencies at SOUP and appearances at Manchester Jazz Festival and the Whitworth Gallery—as well as education and outreach. Through workshops, panel discussions, and mentorship, the collective is committed to uplifting the next generation of creatives while pushing the boundaries of what diasporic music can be.
