Tate Collective BHM Commission

Black History Month can be difficult for black creatives. Our annual seat at the table is often met with more obstacles than opportunities as we dodge pigeonholing and lowball fees, only to have invitations dry out come November 1st. This is why Lubaina Himid’s “The Carrot Piece” stood out to me. In the face of institutional attempts to “integrate” black womxn artists – rife with tokenism, false promises and pressure to conform – Himid reminds us we already have what we need. My response focused on the abundance black creatives find within their communities, especially when grounded within the natural world and indigenous modes of knowledge production. Simultaneously, I questioned the authority of white cultural institutions to “pedestal” art and determine what’s worth viewing. Building on Himid’s theatrical background, I exposed the studio set to the viewer to reveal the illusion – and thus precarity – of these literal and metaphorical plinths. Ultimately, I aimed to create a future-facing space for the expression of the black experience outside of the white imagination and depictions of suffering.