This blog has been written by Leyla Irani. She says
I serve as a Youth Representative for Bradford District Museums and Galleries in a national partnership project called Journeys with Mai. My role is to offer a youth perspective on Portrait of Mai by Sir Joshua Reynolds, as I explore its lasting impression within art history.
Mai was the first Polynesian to visit Britain, arriving during a period of growing European exploration and interest in the Pacific. Portrait of Mai is the first painting by a prominent British artist to depict a non-European sitter in a grand, dignified, and authoritative manner. The richness of the painting is evident not only in its historical significance but also in its meticulous visual details, which imbue Mai with a heroic presence.
A firsthand viewing of Portrait of Mai, when it was on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London, offered me a full appreciation of the dignified composure that Reynolds captures. Portrait of Mai is widely considered a masterpiece, an object of both national and international importance.
As Portrait of Mai travels to museums and galleries across the UK, each host venue will work with local communities to better understand the 18th-century painting and Mai himself.
Recently, I helped plan and deliver a summit, at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, for the Journeys with Mai team. Featuring a traditional Fijian dance and lei-making workshop, the summit illustrated how Portrait of Mai resonates with Bradford’s rich cultural heritage and identity as a diverse city, shaped by waves of migration.
Portrait of Mai will go on to engage communities at The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, before concluding its UK tour at The Box in Plymouth. These venues will serve as vibrant hubs of creativity and conversation, that inspire and connect communities.
By weaving Portrait of Mai into youth-led discussions in museums and galleries across the UK, Journeys with Mai empowers the next generation to envision a future where identities are seen, valued, and celebrated.