Iman Sultan West
- Hello lovely visitors, welcome to my website! Here you will find a multitude of projects that I’ve worked on and am currently working on. There will be excerpts of poetry, projection mapping installations, exhibitions and events I have curated. As well as community projects and facilitated workshops.
- I hope you can get an insight into my practice, please feel free to reach out if you find something you’d like to talk more about! I’m always keen to collaborate, so tell me your projects too if you’d like to work with me! xoxo
2025 Projects
- short poetry films
- Wildwood
- permanent marker
- she speaks
- greygreygreygrey
- metal screw
- im dying
- Longer poetry films
- To celebrate the UK release of the film Joyland (2023), I was commissioned by Studio Soho and desi organise to create a piece touching on South Asian Queerness in the UK.
- This collaborative film speaks to understanding identity within faith, childhood, parental relationships and queerness. Poetry is used to guide the viewer through the narrative.
- In a pre recorded piece made in 2021 by Iman Sultan West and Zayd West Sultan, this poem explores the personal struggles of seeking support from others when living with mental health problems - using symbolic imagery.
- For the visuals, filmmaker Sam Chilton uses generative techniques and audio reactive programming to create the soft, intricate world in which the poem takes place. Sowing together four separate pieces - using displacement and feedback loops to paint the sound and emotion of the poetry piece.
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- Theres a metal screw that fits to a drill quite
perfectly - And an un tied shoe that fits almost
certainly to another pair - And allen keys meant for allen holes
- And baren socks with baren toes
- Not to mention mushy peas and chips
- And fancy beers with common tips
- Or iphone cables
- With uncracked fables
- Of charge holes able to
- Stable shoot up to its apple navals
- Matchin twixes seem finding sticks
- A natural trick until broken
- BUT
- Once woken from that dream
- And unfixed from spoken seems
- And nothing feels like something until
deemed idiocy - You're an idiot to go back thrice
- Is a mediocracy of societal mistakes
- So I'm awake to faults now irreparable
- If only I was stable enough to compute
- Just a phone unable to be charged
- A pea un mushed till merged
- With chips fat fryer surged
- Or socks from holes re sewed
- And toes un showed by seams unleashed
- Cover chests with heartfelt sheaths
- Bury feelings underneath
- The same plastic that covers the broken
wires - What a shame to stifle fires within
- But necessary
- Till light no longer heavy
- And steady beats seem sparingly ready
bristol beacon, November, 2022
- It’s the skin that isn’t smooth enough.
- The click of tongue,
- twist of eye.
- Clock of head,
- tone of sigh.
- The fingertips
- that stroked
- my cerebrum once.
- Parietal lobes gone walk abouts,
- It’s bouts of loose air.
- I can’t feel the feel of space,
- can’t recall your shape of face.
- Not like I used to.
- I’ll stoke the air above to imagine,
- but through some slightly damp lashes..
- it’s just illusions of grace
- in place of the empty dented mattress.
- I’ve placed some others there since,
- sweet intentioned tactics n tickles.
- My jaw goes taught,
- lift brows off the ground.
- Summer days haven’t plucked the last hair
yet, - you just didn’t need to be there to see it.
- Nor the autumn tree or winter bush.. when
the spring brings a lighter push. - Well, by then I might be ready
- to stop comparing touches or head tocks.
- To see from what it is to what it was and
smile. - Fondly ... I hope.
2000 trees, july, 2023
Exhibition
installations
Be’loved
Arnolfini
- bristol
Panic
street exhibtion
- bristol
After the fire
Trinity Centre
- bristol
The Outside
warehouse 41
- southampton
Wrong Food
open stidios
- hackney wick
- Memories: Film
Screening Event
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The Kitchen, BeLoved Exhibition
Arnolfini, Bristol (2023)
Iman Sultan West is an artist, poet and
curator based in St. Paul’s, Bristol. She is
co-founder and director of the Shiiku
collective, programming events around
the city.
- Iman wants to explore in her work and
words how community can be brought
together through creativity and the
understanding of heritage.
Be’loved
To celebrate their anniversary as Creators in Residence at Arnolfini,
Rising Arts Agency are taking over our second floor gallery from March
to May 2023.
Inspired by our current exhibition Garry Fabian Miller: ADORE and the
themes of Rising Arts Agency’s work over the last six years, we invited
their community of young creatives to share their dreams for the
space, and have commissioned three artists to create and exhibit new
work.
- “We have selected three of our incredible artists to exhibit here and
share their radical reimagining for the world we live in. Take stock,
take notice, take care. This is just one example of the greatness that
can come from giving young people agency and inviting them in. One
movement, three artists, infinite love.” (Rising Arts Agency)
- This installation piece was created using an
analogue projection mapping technique with
two audio pieces. The first is an hour long
discussion with myself about the piece and
the second is a poem about Home. In
collaboration with Bubaganoush, a local
community restaurant in St Pauls, I was able
to offer the people living on my street also in
St Pauls, a free wrap for completing a
worksheet. They were asked to fill out a
worksheet drawing an image of their
kitchens, describing what they can hear,
smell taste and what home means to them.
The Making Process
community collaboration
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2024 Projects
- bristol museum + mshed
2023 Projects
- This is me in my garden,
looking pensive, cute n shy
hehe. - Take a lil break with me, go
look out the window for a sec,
get a cuppa. Remember that
work isn’t everything. You
deserve to rest <3 - Then carry on looking at my
work...
Workshops
2022 - 2023
Puppet making
strange Brew
- bristol
poetry
loaf, bristol beacon
- bristol
plant life drawing
centre space
- bristol
poetry
strange brew
- bristol
poetry
cloak and dagger
- bristol
Commissioned Backdrops
Blu Lab Beats
Photographer -
@omarxsultan
Backdrop - @imanwest_
Styling - @dechieeee
Styling Assistant -
@atanalindor
Art Dept -
@pegmcmillan@anghara
deevans
- Lights -
@ryanashleyjames
Isabelle Brown
Photographer -
@omarxsultan
Art Director / Backdrop -
@imanwest_
Stylist -
@dechieeee@harielle_at
analindor
Designer -
@morenikeji_textiles
- Assistant art dep -
@angharadeevans
Baby Panna
Director:
@eve.johnson.films
D.o.P: @martaviti_f
Creative Director, 16mm,
1st AC, Animator:
@omarxsultan
Producer:
EColourist, Post-
Supervisor, Animator:
@aevi.av
- All the commissioned backdrops I have made by listening to the music and words recorded by the artist. I will listen to them over and over and paint what I feel. Sometimes the sound makes me move, sometimes my hand cast the colour across the canvas, sometimes its an expressive explosion.
About
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Art Exhibitions / Events
- Quasi Status: Installation Artist
March 2018, Safehouse 1, Peckham
- The Outsider: Installation Artist
April 2018, Wickham Road, Fareham
- Wrong Food: Installation Artist and Curator
November 2018, Hackney Wick
- Guerrilla Warfare: Installation Artist and
Curator. March 2019, Blasé House, Hackney Wick
- LOOP: Installation Artist and Curator
July 2019, Blasé House, Hackney Wick
- Clean Your Wounds: Day Event
Producer August 2020, Cherry Lane, Bristol
- Panic: Day Festival, Producer
September 2020, Cherry Lane, Bristol
- Release: Day Event Producer
and Poet May 2021, Redbridge, Bristol
- The Change: Event Producer + Poet
August 2021, Bristol Beacon, Bristol
- The Residence: Exhibition Designer
October 2021, The Island, Bristol
- Shiiku Fest: Day Festival Director and
poet. October 2021, Propyard, Bristol
- Outset: Installation Artist
March 2022, The Island, Bristol
- No-None Summer Party: Installation Artist
June 2022, Dare To, Bristol
- Soft Spawn: Event Producer
July 2022, The Loco Klub, Bristol
- After The Fire: Exhibition Designer
September 2022, Trinity Centre, Bristol
- Bounce x Shiiku: Poetry Host and Co-Producer
November 2022, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Bounce x Shiiku: Poetry Host and Co-Producer
April 2023, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Be’loved: Installation Artist and Poet
March 2023, Arnolfini, Bristol
- Freak Lore: Installation Artist and Poet
May 2023, The Island, Bristol
- Art Comes Alive: Painter
December 2023, Dareshack, Bristol
- Knight Frank Exhibition: Curator
April 2024, Baker Street, London
Film Screenings
- Identity: Screening ‘She speaks’ Film and Poetry
June 2021, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Identity II: Screening ‘Greygreygreygreygrey’
Film and Poetry, August 2021, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Memory: Screening ‘Lagos’
October 2021, Strange Brew, Bristol
- The Worrd: Screening ‘They Say’ and poetry
May 2022, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Bristol Radical Film Festival: Screening of ‘Faith’
November 2023, The Cube, Bristol
- You Can Sit With Us, Dhaga: Screening of ‘Faith’
July 2024, Isle of Dogs, London
Poetry Performances 2022 - 2024
- Bath Mind: Poet + Band
July 2021, The Station, Bristol
- Sonder Spoken Word: Poet
July 2021, Hamilton House, Bristol
- Shiiku, Release: Poet
July 2021, Redbridge, Bristol
- The Change: Poet
August 2021, Bristol Beacon, Bristol
- Break Reality: Poet
February 2022, The Cube, Bristol
- Udaya: Poet
July 2022, PRSC, Bristol
- Soft Spawn: Poet
July 2022, Loco Klub, Bristol
- Toilet Fest: Poet
September 2022, The Cube, Bristol
- Trinity Garden Party: Poet
September 2022, Trinity Centre, Bristol
- Uncooked Goods: Poet
October 2022, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Bristol Takeover: Poet
November 2022, Bristol Beacon, Bristol
- Queer Storytelling: Poet
December 2022, The Cloak, Bristol
- Anthropocene: Poet
March 2023, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Spark: Poet and Band
March 2023, Tobacco Factory, Bristol
- Trinity Garden Party: Poet
May 2023, Trinity Centre, Bristol
- Trinity Garden Party: Poet
May 2023, Trinity Centre, Bristol
- Wilderpiss: Poet
June 2023, Centrespace, Bristol
- 2000 Trees: Poet
July 2023, 2000 Trees Festival, Somerset
- Crotch x Manic: Poet
July 2023, Loco Klub, Bristol
- Edinburgh Fringe: Poet
August 2023, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh
- Ecstatic Drum Beats: Poet
September 2023, Arnolfini, Bristol
- Festival for our Future: Poet and Band
October 2023, We The Curious, Bristol
- Pooetry: Poet and Producer
December 2023, 395, Bristol
- Raise The Bar: Poet
January 2024, The Orchard, Bristol
- Poetry for Peace: Poet
March 2024, Bristol Folk House, Bristol
- Lyra Fest, Queer Futures: Poet
April 2024, 395, Bristol
- Lyra Fest, Poetry Showdown
April 2024, The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
- Milk Poetry: Poet
May 2024, The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
- Green Stage Live: Poet
June 2024, Hello Fancy Plants, Bristol
- Sofar Sounds: Poet and Band
September 2024, Boston Tea Party, Bristol
Workshops
- Puppet Making with Iman: Facilitator
December 2021, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Poetry Workshop with Iman: Facilitator
March 2022, The Cloak and Dagger, Bristol
- Pooooetry with Iman: Facilitator
November 2022, Strange Brew, Bristol
- Shiiku x Strange Brew Residency: 1 week of
workshops. Curator Dec-Jan 2022, Strange Brew, Bristol
- The Wilderness: Facilitator and Curator
One week of workshops. June 2023, Centrespace, Bristol
- Poetry Series: 5 week workshop series.
Facilitator. Nov-Dec 2023, Freestone Studios, Bristol
- Poetry Workshop With Iman: Facilitator,
August 2023, Loaf Cafe, Bristol
- Poetry Series II: 5 week workshop series.
Facilitator. Feb - Mar 2024, Freestone Studios, Bristol