Merry in the Mocha exhibition
3 – 28 December 2009
The Exhibition features the work of: Frank De Castro, Maria Finnigan, Mike Gill, Madelaine Murthwaite, Stephen Collett and John Fillis.
The latest exhibition in the Mocha Lounge features more artists than usual, its a good show of different styles. The photomontage work pictured here is a particulalry interesting piece by Frank De Castro on the theme of immigration.
Frank De Castro:
BURMOUSERS OR SCOUSESE?
The artist’s aim is a pictorial study of immigration, integration and assimilation through the experiences of his own family.
A collection of paintings tracing the journey of an Anglo-Burmese family of mixed British/European and Burmese ancestry, uprooted because of racial intolerance, persecution and war.
Beginning in British ruled Burma of the 1940’s, through the Japanese invasion and occupation, Burmese independence and the subsequent rejection of all things British or not Burmese, civil war and the military dictatorship.
Their emigration to India in 1950, return to Burma the following year and finally their arrival in Liverpool in 1957, ensured that the whole process of integration and gaining acceptance would continue.
Although unlikely to return to their country of origin, following the systematic erasure of their existence and racial classification by the Burmese military, they are nevertheless ‘happy and proud to be Burmese Scousers’.
