The Drawing Diversity Artist Residency involved the production of a drawing-based commission for the University of Reading Art Collection.

This two drawings produced by Saranjit Birdi over the course of the residency have been selected together with the Curator to join the University Art Collection.

A self portrait by Saranjit BIrdi featuring his head, curly hair and shoulders. He appears to be wearing an open-collar shirt. At the bottom in pencil are the words 'LF [Left foot] 15m [15 minutes] Self Portrait 22/02/2021 Birdi'
Saranjit Birdi, Self Portrait: Left-Foot, 3B graphite pencil on Daler-Rowney smooth cartridge paper, 2021. University Art Collection UAC/11030
This 15 minute foot-drawn self portrait of the artist records Birdi’s engagements with student, community, and public groups, with whom he explored drawing with different body parts – an integral element of his practice.

Created during a session with students from the University of Reading’s Institute of Education, it also marks a significant acquisition for the University Art Collection, being the first portrait of and by an artist of colour to be acquired, a group historically underrepresented in our holdings.

The University Art Collection’s development policy includes an intention to make the collection more representative of the diversity of the present-day University and local community.

Four different poses on the ground in blue and purple pencil. The poses are all by an individual dancer over a period of time and have been drawn over the top of each other so that four figures appear together. The front figure is faced down with outstretched arms, the top right figure is seated with a raised left leg, the seated central figure has a raised left arm and the top left figure is seated with the right leg stretched along the ground.
Saranjit Birdi, Flow through four, Koh-I-Noor Hardmuth Magic Pencil with multi-tone lead on Daler-Rowney smooth cartridge paper, 2021. University Art Collection UAC/11031

This dynamic two-colour pencil drawing of contemporary dancer, Arwen Hobday, is from Birdi’s immersive drawing performance in the exhibition gallery. It records a sequence of Hobday’s movements in response to music Birdi created for the intervention to guide the dancer’s movement and inform the intensity and pace of his drawing.

Birdi’s intention was to disrupt the traditional separation between artist and model by exploring the introduction of a dancer’s movement to music, which is conveyed in the rhythmic and expressive quality of the piece.

Experience the immersive drawing performance, featuring interviews with Arwen Hobday and Saranjit Birdi.