From the Jungle, Calais
Majid Adin is an artist, writer and filmmaker from Iran, now settled in London. He was forced to leave his home country, having been briefly imprisoned and politically exiled from Tehran after his blog upset the regime. He journeyed through Europe, spent several months in the Calais ‘jungle’, and after many attempts to make the crossing, finally arrived in the UK in a refrigerated van on 20th April 2016, coinciding with celebrations for Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary. Majid’s graphic novel, “Hamid and Shakespeare” explores the imagined friendship between Hamid, an unknown refugee, and Shakespeare. The book’s narrative is filled with humour, fantasy, drama, and tragedy.
In 2017 he won a competition to produce an animation for a music video to illustrate Elton John’s song ‘Rocket Man’, with a tale about a lonely astronaut travelling across continents to a new home in England. Majid’s award-winning animation of ‘Rocket Man’ was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. In spring 2019 Majid completed a residency at the Venice Biennale, curated by Ai Weiwei.
Recent work includes projects with Good Chance, Art Refuge UK, Positives Negatives, Help Refugees and the House of Illustration.
This exhibition at Caerbladon draws together a range of the artist’s work, reflecting different media and stories, from the time spent in the ‘Jungle’ to confronting his demons and the search for peace and wellbeing in painting, photography and illustration. Part of Pride of Place Malmesbury 2025, and the festival’s theme of sanctuary, Majid is undertaking a residency in Malmesbury during Refugee Week 16 – 22 June 2025.
