Inverness art student Leah Davis exhibiting work at the Upstairs Gallery

SOCIAL exclusion, personal acceptance and judgement of others based on ambiguous information are highlighted in an exhibition by an Inverness art student.

You're So Weird by Leah Davis is showing at the Upstairs Gallery in Academy Street.

"This collection was, in the beginning, a no-holds-barred exploration of myself on a deep and vulnerable level," said Ms Davis, who is in her fourth year of studying for a BA (Hons) in contemporary art and contextualised practice at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

"I wanted to explore my personal characteristics and issues that made me feel in any way socially different, or 'weird' throughout my life.

"Originally, I had anticipated that this project would reach and inspire others that have felt uncomfortable with who they are and help them to feel a sense of inclusion and acceptance, regardless of their seemingly 'undesirable' traits."

But as she worked through the project she wanted to highlight that people should have more confidence to embrace their differences and uniqueness.

"I became increasingly aware that we all judge others, and I am not excluded from this," she said.

"Whether we make a conscious decision to or not, we are all guilty of it in some way or another. I decided to use celebrities to articulate my views on this final point and illustrate the power the media has in presenting us with just one view of an individual.

"We all make mistakes, and we are all 'weird' in someone's story so let's just relax and treat others with the respect and acceptance we all ultimately want."

The exhibition runs until November 1 and the gallery is based in the offices of HRI Munro Architecture.

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