22 Carat Gold brings together the work of four British South Asian artists,

Alina Akhbar, Azraa Motala, Hira Butt & Zara Saghir each navigating the complexities of identity, heritage, and womanhood in a contemporary British context.

A recurring motif across the exhibition is jewellery—specifically gold. Rich with symbolism, gold denotes status, tradition, and ceremonial importance. In South Asian and Islamic cultures, it is often passed from one generation to the next, gifted at pivotal life stages such as marriage. Unlike Western perceptions of dowry as transactional or patriarchal, Islamic custom frames the gifting of gold to daughters as a form of financial protection—an untouchable reserve of value, worn on the body, held in trust for uncertain futures. Today, its presence is as likely to be seen in bridal attire as in the styling of British Asian youth culture, where gold holds space as both heirloom and bling —bridging reverence and rebellion.