In the last century, around two million people emigrated from
Scotland. Many left in the aftermath of war or in times of economic
hardship in search of opportunity.
Often, emigrants have a strong sense of Scottish identity.
Today, over 25 million people across the world claim Scottish
ancestry. In the last Canadian census, 4.2 million people described
their ethnic group as 'Scottish'.
Scots have made their mark in a variety of fields and have
received many accolades and awards in their adopted countries.
Emigrant Scot now living in Queensland, Australia
"Diaspora tartan is from my series of digitally printed
textile works which draw on my personal experience of migration
from Scotland to Australia. "As a printed textile designer, I am
particularly interested in the role of textiles as a cultural
signifier of history, place and identity.
"As an emigrant Scot, I am interested in the role that
traditional Scottish textiles, specificially tartans, have played
in the construction of a Scottish identity and mythology, and how
tartan imagery has migrated along with its mythologies to every
corner of the world.
"Diaspora tartan originates from a combination of two
metal tartan constructions. These units were transported to the
departure lounge at Brisbane International Airport, Australia, and
passed through the baggage x-ray machine. The textile design is
constructed from the resulting x-ray imagery, and is digitally
printed onto silk."