Curator

The Time is Always Now

A major study of the Black figure – and its representation in contemporary art

The exhibition, curated by writer Ekow Eshun, showcases the work of contemporary artists from the African diaspora, including Michael Armitage, Lubaina Himid, Kerry James Marshall, Toyin Ojih Odutola and Amy Sherald, and highlights the use of figures to illuminate the richness and complexity of Black life. As well as surveying the presence of the Black figure in Western art history, we examine its absence – and the story of representation told through these works, as well as the social, psychological and cultural contexts in which they were produced.

Artist list: Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Hurvin Anderson, Michael Armitage, Jordan Casteel, Noah Davis, Godfried Donkor, Kimathi Donkor, Denzil Forrester, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Titus Kaphar, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Chris Ofili, Jennifer Packer, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Thomas J Price, Amy Sherald, Lorna Simpson, Henry Taylor and Barbara Walker.

★★★★★ The Observer 


“With The Time Is Always Now, Ekow Eshun Cements His Status As The UK’s Most Inspired – And Inspiring – Curator”
— Vogue

In the Black Fantastic

Reimagining myth, science fiction, spiritual traditions and the legacy of Afrofuturism

While some artists disrupt our understanding of the past, others invite us to imagine fantastical futures. In this exhibition, fantasy becomes a zone of creative and cultural liberation and a means of addressing racism and social injustice by conjuring new ways of being in the world.

“You’re unlikely to see a better show this year”
— The Evening Standard

We Are History

Race, Colonialism and Climate Change

We Are History, is a group exhibition offering a different perspective on humanity's impact on the planet by tracing the complex interrelations between today’s climate crisis and legacies of colonialism.

“Winner of sustainable event of the year 2021”
— Time Out London

Africa State of Mind

Africa State of Mind presents the work of a new generation of photographers from across the African continent. Curated by the eminent writer and broadcaster Ekow Eshun, this major exhibition features 13 artists who collectively interrogate ideas of ‘Africanness’.

Other exhibitions

  • Made You Look: Dandyism and Black Masculinity - The Photographers Gallery London 2016

  • Hassan Hajjaj: The Path - NAE & Arnolfini Bristol, 2020

  • The New African Portraiture. Shariat Collections - Kunst Halle Krems 2022

  • Rita Mwaena Benissan - In the World Not of the World , Gallery 1957 Accra, 2023