Transplanted: Exploring Migration & Identity in the Art of John Yayen

Cambridge-based artist John Yayen explores migration, care and belonging in Transplanted, an evolving project that brings together the interconnected series Embers of Care and Entanglement. The work approaches migration as an ongoing process rather than a single moment, shaped by resilience, labour, and shared responsibility. Circular mark-making runs throughout the series, reflecting identity as something that forms through repetition, return and gradual transformation.

The Embers of Care series focuses on healthcare workers, particularly migrant carers whose contributions often remain unseen. In works like The Embrace and We Are One II, looping, densely layered lines form figures that feel both vulnerable and enduring, set against vivid red backgrounds that suggest pressure, commitment and emotional intensity. The series is closely tied to place, with artworks held and exhibited across hospitals and healthcare institutions throughout the UK, including ongoing displays at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Beginning in January 2026, Entanglement extends these themes into environmental care through a residency at the Cambridge Conservation Initiative in the David Attenborough Building. Working alongside migrant experts in biodiversity and conservation, John will develop a new body of work that weaves personal narratives into broader ecological systems, continuing Transplanted’s focus on care as a shared, interconnected act across people and environments. You can learn more about the project on John Yayen’s website.

More art on the grid John Yayen’s website