A powerful new exhibition is now open at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh’s Old Town, spotlighting the cultural links between Scotland and South Asia. Through Kindred Eyes: Two South Asian Artists’ Framings of Scotland brings together two strikingly different yet deeply connected bodies of work that explore identity, belonging, and the beauty of shared heritage.
Running from 3rd to 20th July 2025, this free and non-ticketed exhibition features oil paintings by Vibha Pankaj and documentary photography by Hermann Rodrigues, two South Asian artists based in Edinburgh who offer a distinct, reflective lens on Scotland as home, muse, and memory.
Vibha Pankaj, a contemporary landscape artist who has lived in Edinburgh for 27 years, presents Amaranthine—a selection of oil paintings that blur the boundaries between recollection and scenery. Her works draw upon the raw textures and natural beauty encountered during her treks through the Scottish hills, layered with memories of her life in India.
Each canvas is a meditative world of colour and texture, invoking a sense of peace, nostalgia, and freedom. “There is something deeply therapeutic about Scottish landscapes,” says Pankaj, “but they also awaken the echoes of a homeland. I paint the space where those feelings meet.”
Running alongside Pankaj’s paintings is Broon Scots, a photographic collection by documentary artist Hermann Rodrigues, curated by Puravi Kumar. The project is a long-running visual archive documenting the lives of Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani communities in Scotland from the 1990s to the present day. Themes such as Portraits, Gatherings, Monuments, and a fascinating series on Restaurants offer a rare glimpse into the everyday richness of South Asian life in Scotland.
Rodrigues’s images—warm, candid, and layered—capture multigenerational moments, religious and cultural events, and the quiet dignity of ordinary lives. “It’s about breaking stereotypes,” he explains. “These images are windows. They show that South Asians in Scotland are not just present, but deeply rooted and thriving.”
Despite working in different mediums, Pankaj and Rodrigues are united in their approach. Both artists use colour—vivid, evocative, symbolic—to explore themes of identity, migration, and place. Their artworks echo each other, weaving together a visual narrative of integration and reflection.
Fittingly, the exhibition coincides with the unveiling of a bust of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore just outside the venue, in Sandeman House Garden. The bust adds another layer of cultural homage and relevance, standing as a tribute to one of South Asia’s most influential literary figures, now rooted in Scottish soil.
Through Kindred Eyes is open daily from 10am to 6pm at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR. While the exhibition is free and non-ticketed, the space may occasionally be used for private events—visitors are encouraged to call ahead to ensure access.
For more information, visit the event website or follow @scottishstorytellingcentre on Instagram. You can also connect via Facebook to stay updated.
Whether you’re drawn by the brushstrokes of memory or the quiet strength of documentary storytelling, this is an exhibition that speaks to the heart of what it means to belong—across continents, cultures, and communities.
