BLACK BRITISH ART NOW
Online Lectures Every Monday
4 November - 2 December
(New Course Date)
6:30pm - 7:45pm (GMT)
Led by Lisa Anderson, this course explores contemporary Black British art since 2020.
Developed and led by Lisa Anderson, this course provides an in-depth overview of contemporary Black British art since 2020. Participants will explore how artists like Sonia Boyce and John Akomfrah reflect diverse perspectives in their work, and examine the role of archives in preserving cultural memory and advocating for social justice. Through a comprehensive exploration of key themes and interdisciplinary practices, this course offers a thorough understanding of the vibrant and evolving Black British art landscape.
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Week 1: The Now - Black British Art Since 2020
This session offers an overview of the contemporary Black British art scene post-2020, highlighting key artists, movements, and themes. Participants will explore the evolution of Black British art and its significance in today’s cultural landscape, discussing how current works address contemporary issues and represent the diversity of Black British experiences.
Week 2: Black British Artists at the Venice Biennale
This session delves into the works and contributions of Sonia Boyce and John Akomfrah, two prominent Black British artists who have represented Britain at the Venice Biennale. We will examine their artistic journeys and the themes they explore. Additionally, we will revisit interventions that have amplified the Black British artistic diasporic voice in Venice, such as the International Curators Forum’s Diaspora Pavilion and In Praise of Black Errantry.
Week 3: The Archive in Black British Art
This session investigates the role of archives in Black British art, focusing on how artists use archival material to reclaim history, preserve cultural memory, and address themes of identity, diaspora, and social justice. Participants will learn about the work of artists such as Onyeka Igwe, Evan Ifekoya, and Peter Braithwaite, exploring their projects and methodologies that underscore the significance of archives in contemporary Black British art.
Week 4: Interdisciplinary Practice
This session explores the intersections between design, visual art, and performance in Black British art and their progression since 2020. Featuring artists like Harris Elliott, Grace Wales Bonner, and Heather Agyepong, participants will examine how these artists navigate their practice across various institutional contexts.
Week 5: Lisa Anderson in Conversation with Simone Brewster.
For the last session, Lisa Anderson will be joined by Simone Brewster. Brewster is an artist, designer, educator, and cultural change-maker. Strongly grounded in craft, she uses her creative outputs as her voice, celebrating and sharing windows into varied Black female narratives and histories. Based in London, the threads that flow throughout her work display a balance of function with beauty, a repurposing of the “ethnic” and the “western,” and a continuous playing with scale, materiality, and architectural form.
Heather Agyepong,
’Somebody Stop Me,’
(Series: ego death,) 2022.
Lecturer: LIsa Anderson
Lisa Anderson is the Director of the Black Cultural Archives, dedicated to the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain. She founded
Black British Art, a platform highlighting black British artists across eras.
A prominent leader in culture and heritage, Anderson is passionate about visual arts and dance. With a background in human rights, she uses culture to advance social justice and racial equity. Recently, she curated SOULSCAPES, a successful contemporary retelling of landscapes by artists from the African Diaspora, at Dulwich Picture House Gallery.