- Venue
- The Muse Gallery
- Starts
- Thursday, August 12, 2021
- Ends
- Sunday, August 29, 2021
- Address
- 269 Portobello Road, W11 1LR
- Location
- London
- Organiser
- The Muse Gallery
Combined EFX
Pick and Mix
Akua Afari
Loretta Campbell
Martine Hans-Jorie
Nikolle Hellis
12 August – 29 August
Opening 14th of August 6-9pm
The ‘Pick and Mix’ exhibition reflects the journey of 4 black women who came together 15 years ago with the goal of exploring and expressing their individual journeys as black women in modern Britain. Sponsored by Kensington and Chelsea, the original exhibition took place at this very same gallery as part of Black History Month in 2005. Collectively named
‘Combined EFX’, artists Martine Hans-Jourie, Loretta Campbell, Akua Afari and Nikolle Hellis came together to collate a body of work which represented the emotional journey of reclaiming their black heritage and those who were
forgotten along the road.
Presented under the name of ‘Royal Black Lives Reclaimed’, the original
exhibition unveiled each artists interpretations of the story of Sarah
Bonetta Forbes, a West African princess who had been imprisoned by a
Dahomey king and later liberated through the efforts of Queen Victoria in 1848 in an attempt to put an end to the Atlantic Slave Trade. After coming across her story, members of Combined EFX felt compelled to draw on their personal
experiences as well as their West Indian and West African heritage to depict
Sarah’s turbulent trajectory to salvation through multiple creative forums.
Drawing on their personal artistic mediums, the exhibition combines works of textile art, graphic art, photography and print to deliver an experience that is both personal to each artist yet remains a powerful reminder of cultural and historic roots.
After being invited to return by the Muse Gallery, todays ‘Pick and Mix’ collection builds on the shared purpose that bought members of Combined EFX
together 15 years ago. As well as presenting some of the original works, the
current exhibition depicts each member’s artistic journey in the years that
followed. The collaborative effort presented in this exhibition draws on
retrospective thought on their autonomous and shared journeys as black and mixed race women in western society. Collectively, the exhibition provides an expression of introspective exploration channelled through their appraisal of the captivating story of a Yoruba princess several centuries ago.
