As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic

Interesting exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery of photographs in which Black subjects are depicted by Black photographers.

The works come from the Wedge Collection, established by Dr. Kenneth Montague, Canada's largest privately owned collection committed to championing Black artists and dated from the 1990s until today.

The show was gently themed starting with families and moving through identity and history. The overall impression was a sense of community.

I was quite impressed by how many photographers I recognised from other exhibitions so rather than this being a forgotten aspect of photographic history it is becoming more mainstream, particularly in terms of exhibitions.

Stand out pieces include this beautiful nude by Texas Isiah called “My Name Is My Name I”; Ayana V. Jackson’s series Dear Sarah, inspired by the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an African woman of Yoruba origin presented as a gift to Queen Victoria, where she represents her as a Victorian lady with the images printed in silk which moves in the breeze and Lebohang Kgany’s digital juxtaposes portraits of her mother with a photographic copy reenacted by the artist herself in her mother's clothes.

Closed 20 January 2024


Review

Guardian


 

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