Lambeth Archives at 16 Brixton Hill are hosting the “Showcasing Historic and Contemporary African Women” exhibition, curated by Gede and Esosa Aihie and presented by Nigeria Magazine and the Adesuwa Women Art Collection.
Four artists
This inspiring event celebrates the remarkable achievements and contributions of African women. The free exhibition features:
- Photo-realistic portraits by Nigerian artist Melody Osagie, in charcoal and graphite, of celebrated, powerful, and important women including Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, President of Liberia Sirleaf Johnson, the first African female president and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o.
- Paintings by Raphael Kwame include The Benin (Edo) Bride dressed in traditional attire, a stunning representation of culture with coral beadwork and crown, a high bun hairstyle, and red flannel cloth symbolising Edo culture, tradition, royalty and nobility.
- South London teacher and illustrator Sonia Ogbebor’s art features colourful interpretations of positive words such as Amazing, Distinguished, Excellent, and Successful all showing individual women as musicians, athletes, and more, embodying those messages and inspiring people to live up to their own feelings about the key words.
- Nigeria-born Multi-disciplinary artist Ntiense Tom Udom promotes the self-awareness of African women. Her artwork in this show tell the story in seven images of the ancient Benin kingdom and a legendary woman nicknamed Emotan, born between 1380 and 1400, whose courage and kindness are still remembered and celebrated.
See the show
The exhibition is in the Olive Morris room of Lambeth Archive’s new purpose-built space at 16 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1ET and has already inspired more local artists not just to stop and look, but to come in and ask about exhibiting their own work in Lambeth Archives’ space.
It is open to the end of August 2024 during Archives opening hours: Monday 13.00-20.00, Tuesday 10.00-18.00, Wednesday Closed, Thursday 10.00-18.00, Friday 10.00-13.00, Saturday 09.00-17.00
September show
Lambeth Archives’ next exhibition, throughout September, will feature ‘Shakespeare in Lambeth’ as part of the borough’s month-long Heritage festival, with rare copies of the second, third and fourth folio collections of Shakespeare’s plays, and posters and photos from performances at the Old Vic, National, and other Lambeth theatres.
(header picture – portraits by Melody Osagie)
