Faces of the Homeland

Beautiful exhibition at Coningsby Gallery of work by six contemporary artists who “connect the dots between African and Western traditions to celebrate and honour the beauty and brilliance of black men and women.”

I use the quote from the gallery webpage and it is such a clear description of the arc of the show which had some stunning pictures in it. Thank you to the engaging gallery assistant who wanted to know what I thought of the work.

I loved Somunachima Akudu’s bright pictures of women against exotic foliage. This seems to be a common type of image at the moment and a more recent show I’ve been to explained that a cheese plant is often a symbol thriving in challenging conditions. I also liked Richmond Mood’s fragmented portraits of men painted with thick shards of paint.

My favourite works, one of which is shown here, were by Glory Samjolly. I loved their roots in the art of the Enlightenment and I felt they spoke to the time of the Abolition of the Slave Trade and yet were images of modern women. I love the textured surface they were painted on.

Closed 13 February 2022

 

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