Dan Auluk (b. 1970, Birmingham, UK) is a British-South Asian artist born, living and working in Birmingham. He graduated with an MA in Fine Art from The School Of Art, Birmingham City University, in 2014.
My work begins with my own experiences and the things that have shaped me. I make digital drawings, videos, text, spoken word, and performance works that explore anxiety, grief, fear of loss, identity, and, more recently, queer joy.
For much of my life, I felt that different parts of myself existed separately. Growing up queer, British, and Punjabi in the 1970s and 1980s, I often felt I had to hide parts of who I was. This created a sense of disconnection from my Punjabi roots, from the wider British culture around me, and at times from myself. Over time, through self-acceptance and my wellbeing support work alongside other queer people, I have learned to embrace these different parts of who I am. My artwork reflects this ongoing journey. Making art has become a process of understanding and healing, allowing me to explore memories, emotions, and experiences that have stayed with me.
Through my practice, I explore what it means to feel different, to search for belonging, and to find connection and joy. Although rooted in my own experiences, the work considers wider experiences of identity, belonging, and the ways we understand ourselves.
