CB Recommends: Black Scottish Artists

Black artists have traditionally been marginalised from the mainstream conversation, despite their respective brilliance. Since the majority of our team is based in Scotland, we thought we would shift focus and shine some light on some of our favourite Black Scottish artists…

Visual Art Editor Rosalind Main Recommends:

1.  Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

Zanele Muholi – a south African artist who I want to highlight because of their huge impact in Scotland, especially on my masters at ECA!

2.  What arts form do they work in?

Zanele is an activist predominantly working within photography.

3.  Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

Their work focuses on topics surrounding race, gender and sexuality and I wrote about their work during my Masters at Edinburgh College of Art this year. Their work is thought provoking, and each image is powerful. Muholi’s work featured in the ‘Kiss my Genders’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London in 2019. As well as this, their work has been exhibited all over the world.

 4. Social media or website links to their work

https://www.instagram.com/muholizanele/

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/zanele-muholi

image credit: wikipedia

Society and Community Beth Simpson Recommends:

1.  Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

I would LOVE to choose Jackie Kay who is based in Edinburgh. 

2.  What arts form do they work in?

 She is a poet, playwright and author.

3.  Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

I chose her because I absolutely love her poetry. She writes in such a raw and vulnerable way which gives such an insight into the ways she navigates life as a black Scottish woman and the struggles and wonders of this.

 4. Social media or website links to their work

https://twitter.com/jackiekaypoet?lang=en

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/jackie-kay/

https://www.instagram.com/jackiekaypoet/

Co-founder Laila Ghaffar Recommends:

Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

My artist  is the Poetess Jackie Kay. I’m not entirely sure where in Scotland she is based but she was born and raised in Edinburgh.

2. What arts form do they work in?

Kay is a poet, novelist and playwright.

3. Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

Kay’s work has been on my radar for a while since my best friend’s favourite novel, The Trumpet, was written by her.  Her work explores important themes such as sexuality, gender, racism and belonging. As a black British lesbian woman who was adopted by a while Scottish family, her work is at the intersection of many different marginalised identities and experiences. She writes with both great courage and great sensitivity, that’s what I appreciate about her.

4. Social media or website links to their work

https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/jackie-kay

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/jackie-kay/

https://twitter.com/jackiekaypoet?lang=en

image credit wikipedia

General Editor Auriol Reddaway Recommends:

1.  Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

So I’ve chosen to highlight Maude Sulter who was born in Glasgow and later worked and raised her children in Dumfries until her death in 2008.

2.  What arts form do they work in?

She is predominantly known for her striking photography, which draws heavily on historical and mythical inspirations. However, she was also a poet and a playwright and wrote extensively about art history and curation.

3.  Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

I was recently introduced to her work by my flatmate and was immediately drawn in by the powerful striking images. Her work is inherently political, exploring race, gender and sexuality but it is also a joy to look at. The bold colours and the subtle lighting in her photographs radiate and glow, even when I’m only looking at them on my phone.

 4. Social media or website links to their work

You can see her work in person at the Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery and the V&A in London. However, lots of her work is online on sites like the National Galleries of Scotland and the Tate website (where my personal favourite series, Les Bijoux is accessible). 

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/maud-sulter

https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/maud-sulter/
image credit: wikipedia

Social Media and Outreach Officer Kirsty Thompson Recommends:

1.  Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

Andura Onashile, based in Glasgow.

2.  What arts form do they work in?

She’s a writer, director, and actor. 

3.  Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

She’s so incredible, she has worked with RSC, Chicago Shakespeare Company, Young Vic and one in New York too but I can’t remember the name. One of her big things though is she wrote and acted in HeLa which was a true story about Henrietta Lacks, think it started on the fringe but toured worldwide. I love her because of how honest she is-she’s not afraid to say stuff as it is and I love that she is so unapologetic like that. Her stuff makes me think a lot about the world around me and question what is right. She’s just all round really cool

 4. Social media or website links to their work

https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/profile/adura-onashile

https://www.playwrightsstudio.co.uk/playwrights/adura-onashile.aspx

image credit: wikipedia

Site and Events Photographer Elsa Pearl Recommends:

1.  Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

Sekai Machache, based in Dundee. 

2.  What arts form do they work in?

She is an incredible visual artist, curator and photographer based in Dundee and Glasgow.

3.  Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you? 

I chose her because I read about her recently on Black Ballad and have since particularly fallen in love with her photography. She explores themes of double consciousness, imagination and spirituality (to name a few) in her images and interrogates the role of an artist in building spaces of healing which I find really powerful and inspiring. She’s also a founding member of YonAfro an intersectional creative collective for Black women in Scotland. It aims to centre the experience of blackness to create a sense of belonging for its members through some really amazing and beautiful projects.

 4. Social media or website links to their work

https://www.yonafro.co.uk/our-projects

http://sekaimachache.com/

https://www.yonafro.co.uk/

Image credit: Glasgow international org

Co-founder Lilah Hyman Recommends:

1. Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

Emeli Sandé

A quick googling has told me she is currently based in London but I choose her because she grew up in Aberdeenshire

2. What arts form do they work in?

Musician/ Singer

3. Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

Emile Sandé has always been on my dad’s ‘must listen’ list on any long car journey. I associate her music with being with my family, looking out of a window and really listening. Not to mention, her voice is incredible. ‘Read All About It’ is a feminist anthom and Sandé a feminist icon. She has a tattoo of Frida Kahlo, speaks out on why climate change is a feminist issue and all the proceeds from her latest release will be split between NHS Charities Together and Amnesty International UK.

4. Social media or website links to their work

https://www.instagram.com/emelisande/

https://www.emelisande.com/

image credit: Static Standard

Arts and Culture Editor Manvir Dobb Recommends:

1. Who is your artist, and where in Scotland are they based?

Kobi Onyame, a musician of Ghanian heritage based in Glasgow.

2. What arts form do they work in?

Music, specifically hip hop and rap

3. Why did you choose them? What is it about their art that inspires you?

I’m not the biggest fan of rap, so I think what particularly impressed me about Kobi was how quickly he got me hooked into his music. He describes his music as “multicultural” as he brings together an array of genres from both his Ghanian and Western upbringing, which is ultimately what makes his music incredibly unique. He was shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year award in 2018, which is no mean feat and testament to his incredible ability and distinct sound.

4. Social media or website links to their work

https://www.instagram.com/kobionyame/

http://www.kobionyame.com/about/

image credit: Ticketweb

Compiled by Manvir Dobb, Arts and Culture Editor

Header image via Aesthetica Magazine