Event in Focus: Exhibition opening by Refugee Festival Scotland
Iman Tajik, Alena Bezushko and Nii Sackey Vanderpuye
17 – 21 June 2026, Civic House, 26 Civic Street, Glasgow, G4 9RH
Following the opening night reception on 16th June, Refugee Festival Scotland hosted three exciting new exhibitions by artists Iman Tajik, Alena Bezushko, and Nii Sackey Vanderpuye.
Over the course of 5 days, Civic House’s doors were opened to the public to showcase these exhibitions. Guests were invited to learn more about the artists’ latest projects while immersing themselves in powerful stories of displacement, resilience, and cultural heritage.
From left to right: Nii Sackey Vanderpuye, Alena Bezushko, and Iman Tajik. Photography by Kamila Aitzhanova.
Iman Tajik: The Remembrance Wall / The Wall of Loves
Iman Tajik, an Iranian multidisciplinary artist and photographer based in Glasgow Scotland, presented a thought-provoking body of work that directly challenged the concepts of borders and the politics of space. His installation combined striking visual imagery with spatial interventions, urging the audience to question the arbitrary nature of national boundaries and the socio-political barriers faced by asylum seekers.
The Remembrance Wall / The Wall of Loves is a participatory installation created with communities across Scotland. The work takes the form of a dry stone-style wall built from hundreds of clay tiles, which are imprinted with hands. Guests were invited to create their own stones with handprints and add it to the wall.
Photography by Kamila Aitzhanova
Alena Bezushko:The Odyssey: A Journey to the Self
Ukrainian artist Alena Bezushko brought an intensely personal and emotional narrative to Civic House, capturing the heavy reality of sudden exile alongside the enduring strength of the human spirit. This deeply personal exhibition reflects on the real-life journeys that many Ukrainians and other refugees are going through.
The works presented at the exhibition explore themes of identity, isolation, stagnation, uncertainty and loss. The installation consists of multiple, distinct objects, representing different psychological stages and archetypes of the Odyssey poem, which are reinterpreted as stages of the artist’s own life, and of the lives of people who have been displaced and are trying to rebuild their sense of home.
Photography by Kamila Aitzhanova
Nii Sackey Vanderpuye: People Going Places
Nii Sackey is a self taught oil painter based in Glasgow, whose practice has grown over nearly seven years with a focus on portraiture and the power of presence. The exhibition brings together a selection of portraits created for this year’s festival poster campaign alongside a new, previously unseen painting.
People Going Places reflects on movement, resilience and the many journeys people carry with them across generations, borders, memories and everyday life. Set within an informal and welcoming environment, this pop up exhibition offers audiences the chance to encounter the original paintings behind the visual identity of Refugee Festival Scotland 2026 while celebrating Nii’s wider artistic practice and latest work.
Photography by Kamila Aitzhanova
This inspiring showcase is proudly supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. We want to thank everyone who helped put this together, and the guests who came out to support. Thank you to Refugee Festival Scotland, and artists Iman Tajik, Alena Bezushko and Nii Sackey Vanderpuye, for hosting this event at Civic House.
Learn more by visiting the Refugee Festival Scotland website.