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The Morgan Stanley Exhibition
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Sat 14 Oct 2023
14.00
£8/£6 conc
Screening Room
South Wing
What are the connections between Black British culture and Black artistic expression? Where are the wells of creativity, that inspire and influence Black artists and creative? Join us for a discussion that delves into the interdisciplinary inspirations and cultural influences of Black British artists.
Chair: Peju Oshin
Artists: Jennie Baptiste and Lakwena Maciver
Péjú Oshin is a British-Nigerian curator, writer, and lecturer born and raised in London. Sitting at the intersection of art, style, and culture, her work shows a keen interest in liminal theory and diasporic narratives. She is Associate Director at Gagosian, curator of the critically acclaimed exhibition Rites of Passage, author of Between Words & Space (2021), and was shortlisted for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
Based in London Jennie Baptiste is of St Lucian heritage her work has been featured recently in Black in London at Trafalgar Square & Fashioning Masculinities at The V&A Museum. Her work is in the photographic collections in The National Portrait Gallery, The V&A Museum and Black Cultural Archives.
Vibrant colour and bold text combine in Lakwena Maciver’s joyful and gently subversive work. Her paintings, murals and installations often reference everyday shared experiences and popular culture, such as songs, fashion and basketball. Bringing messages of hopeful possibility, Lakwena speaks to points of connection and commonality between people, with a utopian vision that dreams of redemption and liberation. Her approach is instinctive and autodidactic, producing visceral, rhythmic and immersive panel paintings, iconic murals and installations.
Based in London, Lakwena’s work has been shown internationally in cities including London, Paris, Rotterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami, and at institutions including the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Somerset House, the Southbank Centre in London and the Rotterdam Kunsthal. Her works in the public realm have ranged from one of the largest public artworks in the UK wrapping an electrical substation in London, to a juvenile detention centre in Arkansas, a monastery in Vienna, and the Bowery Wall in New York City.