Exhibition Showcasing Black Artists To Feature At Hastings Museum

The arts and social justice organisation ‘Playing The Race Card’ is launching its latest exhibition, Black Joy! Up Close and Personal, at the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday, May 4.

Over 40 talented Black artists from the South East of England will feature in the exhibition, including Femi Dawkins (winner of the Gieskes-Strijbis Podiumprijs 2022), Yeside Linney (Women In The Arts prize winner 2022), and Dorcas Magbadelo (Etsy Design Awards 2023, Art category), with each piece 'reflecting the resilience, beauty, and the spirit of Black Joy'.

Organisers say the display is a 'counteractive response to the systemic racism and oppression of black people. ‘Black Joy’ is a term representing the authentic expression of self-love and empowerment within the black community. It is a heartfelt tribute to black culture, resistance and happiness, with joy as its central theme'.

By Femi Dawkins

The exhibition will display artworks in various mediums including painting, sign-writing, fashion, textiles, sculpture, collage, photography and video. 

Supported by local arts charity Home Live Art and curated by artist, activist and educator Lorna Hamilton-Brown RCA MBE, the thought-provoking exhibition will take place at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery.  

“Black people are not a monolith, so we all experience or express Black Joy in different ways,” says Lorna. “For me, Black Joy is the deliberate act of finding pleasure and happiness in whatever you do despite your situation.”

She continued:

“The show features artists at different stages of their careers. Together with the artist's statement that accompanies the work, the viewer will gain a personal insight into the artist’s thoughts and intentions. I do not want this to be a show that is solely about how the artworks look. I want the viewer to get a sense of the artist's thought process and feelings without the artist being present.” 

By Carl Sexton

The exhibition follows the success of Playing The Race Card's 2022 exhibition where 25 artists from the South East explored the nuanced challenges experienced by the black community as a result of ongoing structural racism. 

Local Hastings resident Claudine Eccleston started Playing The Race Card in 2020 in response to her own experiences of the term:  

“This exhibition is far-reaching and sparks conversations about race and social justice using diverse art forms by talented artists. I hope that it will empower change and understanding.”

The exhibition is complemented by a programme of live events, including performances, workshops, talks and tours until the exhibition’s conclusion on Sunday,  August 25, 2024.

For more information about the exhibition, visit the Playing The Race Card website at www.playingtheracecard.co.uk/