Born in Bootle, Chila Kumari Burman MBE has become one of the UK’s most distinctive and celebrated contemporary artists. Her bold and joyful work returns to her home turf with her I Love Southport exhibition at The Atkinson.
Chila’s upbringing in a Punjabi Hindu household, set against the working-class backdrop of Sefton, has always been a central influence on her art. Her father, Bachan Singh Burman, worked as a tailor and magician in Calcutta before arriving in Britain in 1954, later running an ice cream van on Freshfield Beach — complete with a life-size Bengal Tiger model on the roof. In a recent interview with The Fourdrinier, Burman recalled “I used to clean the van every night and eat all the chocolate flakes!”
Her mother ran a clothes shop in Waterloo, further rooting the family in the local community. These experiences — and especially the ice cream van — have become recurring motifs in Chila’s work, appearing in playful and vibrant ways throughout this exhibition.
Chila began her studies at Southport School of Arts and Crafts, went on to earn a degree from Leeds Polytechnic, and completed a Master’s in Fine Art at London’s Slade School. As a leading figure in the Black British Art Movement, she has consistently challenged stereotypes, redefined British identity, and confronted institutional racism through her work. Her contributions to visual art were recognised with an MBE in 2022, and her pieces are collected and exhibited worldwide.
Walking into I Love Southport feels like being immersed in a carnival of colour and memory. The Atkinson’s gallery glows with Chila’s signature neon artworks, set alongside kaleidoscopic prints, bold mixed-media collages, and playful ice cream-inspired sculptures. Spanning more than forty years of her career, the exhibition captures the energy, experimentation, and cultural depth that have made Chila a trailblazer in contemporary British art.
Particularly captivating are the neon pieces, the ice cream that is ready to be licked, and a striking pigeon that commands attention with its bold presence. But, every piece on display draws the eye, including the print Cornets and Screwballs (2023) where Burman’s stacked glass creations of ice cream cones mirror the iconic displays seen at Southport’s ice cream vendors.
Using printmaking, painting, photography, drawing, collage and sculpture, Chila blurs the boundaries between popular culture and fine art. I Love Southport is both a homecoming and a celebration — a reminder that the personal stories and local memories we carry can become powerful, world-reaching art.
Looking ahead, it was announced earlier this year that the first major retrospective by Chila Kumari Burman will reopen Tate Liverpool in 2027 following the gallery’s transformation. But, in the meantime, don’t miss this nostalgia-filled celebration of heritage and creativity at The Atkinson.
Chila Kumari Burman: I Love Southport
Running until Saturday 15 November 2025
The Atkinson, Southport.
Admission is free
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