Michael Armitage : Amongst the Living, with Seyni Awa Camara

Thoughtful exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey of new work by Michael Armitage.

I first saw Armitage’s work at a Venice Biennale and was attracted by its vibrancy. He paints on Lubugo, a cloth made from fig tree bark from Uganda that is traditionally used in ceremonial burial rituals, sewing pieces together to make canvases and using the imperfections in the cloth in the work. I like the way he layers images and I would like to know more of the stories behind them.

The paintings were shown with some of his sketches and watercolours which I find them delightful.

I liked Armitage’s choice to show his work with terracotta sculptures by Seyni Awa Camara, an artist from Senegal who is now in her 80s. These were totem like pieces with bodies covered in creatures and tiny heads. They were set into the walls as well as being shown among the paintings.

Closes 30 October 2022


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Telegraph


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