The University of Aberdeen has been awarded funding to commission a new tapestry for the Sir Duncan Rice Library in collaboration with Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist Sekai Machache and Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in Edinburgh. The work will draw inspiration from the University’s extensive collections which span Scottish history, archaeology, science and global cultures.
The commission is supported through the inaugural round of the Jerwood Art Fund Commissions, which will see two of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists Sekai Machache and Julianknxx for Tate Liverpool, in partenrship with the International Slavery Museum, create new works that will enrich UK public collections and inspire conversations about cultural identity, history, and belonging. The new partnership between Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation - Jerwood Art Fund Commissions - provides critical support for museums and galleries to commission early to mid-career artists. The 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 – an essential role amid growing economic challenges.
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. "
Lara Wardle, Executive Director and Trustee, Jerwood Foundation, said:
“I am delighted that, in the first year of Jerwood Foundation’s partnership with Art Fund, two exciting and bold commissions by Sekai Machache and Julianknxx will be realised. Through Jerwood Art Fund Commissions museums and galleries can bring ambitious projects to fruition, which will enrich our national collections and provide crucial support to early and mid-career artists. This important partnership with Art Fund underlines Jerwood’s ongoing commitment to support excellence in the arts in the UK.”
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.”
The Aberdeen Tapestry (working title, 2025), Sekai Machache and Dovecot Studios - University of Aberdeen Collections
Sekai Machache is a Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist, film-maker and curator based in Glasgow, Scotland. 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 Museums Galleries Scotland of 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.
Find out more about both Jerwood Art Fund Commissions here.
