Radiance: An Art Exhibition

Radiance exhibits the manifestation of the artist’s thoughts and feelings towards diasporic African & Caribbean radiance and spirituality. 

The artists in the show include: 

Annis Harrison, a multidisciplinary artist of Swedish and Jamaican descent who has always occupied her own space, having a foot in more than one culture, ethnicity, and language. 

Stephen Anthony Davids, a fine artist known primarily for making portraits using paint or ink on rare paper and found objects. His work provides observations of social history – rooted in present-day London, paralleled with other cultures and eras – addressing inclusion and equality concerning race, gender and socio-economic status.

Kemi Onabule, whose paintings engage with ideas around capitalism, climate change, and society’s changes within our personal and public relationships. Ultimately she depicts a layered view of humanity. 

Zethu Maseko, Through several mediums and processes, Zethu Maseko practises indigenising conversations around the human experience. This is specifically in relation to water and interconnectedness with the land. She works through performance, film, costume, tapestry, sound and delivering workshops. Zethu has a continuous tapestry practice, exploring and depicting alternative mythological realities or unseen worlds informed by historical truths and underrepresented stories. Much of the imagery, symbols, titles and texts in her works derive from explorations of dream visions and give focus to water, memory, geography, connectivity, spirituality, healing, belonging and ancestry. Through landscape audio samples, instrument experimentation and vocal expression, her sound works explore the pursuit of postcolonial identity, healing, and Afrofuturism, reflecting on truthful pasts and un-promised futures.

Hilda Kortei, who produces abstract imagery with an urgent sense of its implication in the struggle for Black freedom. Born in South East London in 1994 and with a background in graphic design, she renders the aesthetic and the political as inextricably linked: her playful, disruptive work is informed by a rich array of source material (photography, sculpture, literature, music) in which pigmentation is politics. 

UNVRSL NMD, an artist who sees the world as a canvas. Their artwork is not confined to being only on traditional canvas, but they create artwork clothing, furniture, and sculptural installations. Within their artwork, text is sometimes featured to communicate to viewers their vision for a better society.

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This exhibition is curated by Bolanle Tajudeen and Pacheanne Anderson from the Black Blossoms School of Art and Culture and features painting, sculptural installation and film. 

Black Blossoms School of Art and Culture is an e-learning platform that delivers short courses & masterclasses that decolonise, deconstruct and democratise art history and creative learning. Classes are taught by leading artists, scholars and art professionals.

This exhibition runs concurrently with all For The Culture events. Admission is free. 

Artwork: Annis Harrison, Duppy IV (2021) oil on canvas – 180×240