I’m delighted that the Edinburgh Gadda Prize, in collaboration with the Italian Studies department at the University of Edinburgh, are using an image of my artwork (In)visible Cities: Reveal III to illustrate their Speaking in Cultures conference publicity.

The biennial conference opens with an award ceremony at the Scottish Parliament hosted by MSP Linda Fabiani. The conference focuses on intercultural exchange and cultural diversity with the Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri as keynote speaker.

Lahiri’s novel In Altre Parole (In Other Words) is an autobiographical work written in Italian investigating the process of learning to express oneself in another language, and describes the journey of a writer seeking a new voice.

Reading In Altre Parole I find many parallels within my work, particularly an interest in Italian culture and the works of the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa and Italo Calvino’s novel Invisible Cities. For me immersion in these visual, environmental and imaginative spaces have offered inspiration, helped me find a new voice and avenue for expression.

www.gaddaprize.ed.ac.uk

Poster design: Pilar Garcia de Leaniz