University awarded funding to create a new ‘Aberdeen Tapestry’

The University of Aberdeen has been awarded funding for a new piece of contemporary art that will enrich UK public collections and inspire conversations about cultural identity, history, and belonging.

It is one of two projects to be supported by a new partnership between Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation - Jerwood Art Fund Commissions – and will see one of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists, Sekai Machache, create a new tapestry for the Sir Duncan Rice Library.

The Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist will work with Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in Edinburgh, to create a new piece drawing inspiration from the university’s extensive collections which span Scottish history, archaeology, science and global cultures.

The university has been selected for the commission, which has the working title ‘The Aberdeen Tapestry, alongside Tate Liverpool in partnership with the International Slavery Museum which will work with by poet, filmmaker, and visual artist Julianknxx.

Jerwood Art Fund Commissions programme aims to further artists at pivotal stages in their careers, while enriching public collections through new contemporary art, ensuring they remain dynamic and representative of contemporary society.

The commissions build on Jerwood Foundation and Art Fund’s long-standing, shared commitment to fund new art and highlight the transformative power of collections in keeping museums vibrant spaces of engagement, learning, and artistic ambition.

Jenny Waldman, director, Art Fund, said: “Commissioning contemporary artists to create new work brings a fresh dynamic and perspective to museum collections. In today’s challenging economic landscape, dedicated support for commissions is more important than ever. Art Fund is delighted to be working in partnership with Jerwood Foundation to support these two ambitious inaugural commissions, which will inspire audiences in Aberdeen and Liverpool with powerful and thought-provoking storytelling."

Sekai Machache is a visual artist, film-maker and curator based in Glasgow. Known for her interest in spirituality and imagination, her practice often engages with themes of history, identity, and the visibility of Black communities in Scotland.

Dovecot Studios and Sekai Machache began collaborating in 2022 with a tapestry for the exhibition Scottish Women Artists: 250 Years of Challenging Perception. The new commission is an opportunity to develop their collaborative practice and take inspiration from the University of Aberdeen Collections, recognised as a Nationally Significant Collection by the Scottish Government.

Machache and Dovecot will initially work with the university teams to investigate and to engage with the collections, which span Scottish history and archaeology, the natural, medical and physical sciences, and world culture. This research will inform both the artist’s and the Dovecot weavers’ approach to the commission and provide opportunities for wider public engagement.

Once Machache’s design for the tapestry is agreed, visitors to Dovecot in Edinburgh will be able to observe the weaving process, as the tapestry is created live in the Studios’ public viewing space. The tapestry will be unveiled at the University of Aberdeen’s Sir Duncan Rice Library by early 2026.

Lisa Collinson, University of Aberdeen Collections, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the university to work with a contemporary artist with a growing reputation and to collaborate with the artists at the world-renowned Dovecot Studios. We look forward to Sekai exploring the university’s collections as well as thinking about the challenging legacies they embody.

“The project also offers the chance for the university community to engage with the process of creating a new work of contemporary art inspired by the collections and we look forward to displaying the finished piece – and incorporating it into the collections so it can inspire generations to come.”