In 1998, Frances Borzello published the 鈥渇irst in-depth presentation鈥 of self-portraits by women. Seeing Ourselves was lauded for its depth and variety, from the Renaissance portraits of Sofonisba Anguissola (c. 1532-1625) through to the so-called 鈥渁bandon鈥 of taboo in the 19th century by the likes Alice Neel, who completed a series of nude portraits at the age of 80. The title then moved into the 20th century, from Frida Kahlo鈥檚 explicit depictions of pain and passion 鈥 complete with throbbing hearts that are visible on the exterior of the body 鈥 to Cindy Sherman鈥檚 radical interpretations of identity in the golden age of cinema, embodying various characters through acts of transformation and shape-shifting.
The notion of 鈥渟eeing oneself鈥 has become integral to the career of Sharon Walters, a London-based artist and curator whose works centre around 鈥渃elebrating鈥 and uplifting Black women. In the artist鈥檚 words, she encourages them to 鈥渢ake up space鈥 in new, thought-provoking and 鈥渦napologetic鈥 ways. Walters鈥 first solo exhibition, now on show at Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham, takes inspiration from Borzello鈥檚 title, whilst recognising the ways it failed to represent Black women, and asking questions about this erasure within the realms of art history. The artist notes: 鈥Ourselves does not include women of colour. It鈥檚 not all of us 鈥 I don鈥檛 see myself. When Blackness is so often equated as 鈥榦ther鈥, for me, it is essential to offer an alternative narrative of empowerment.鈥
The eponymous, and ongoing, series Seeing Ourselves self-consciously considers the ways Black bodies see, and are seen, especially in the arts and heritage sector, as well as mainstream western media. Walters actively draws from contemporary visual culture, creating intricate paper-cut sculptures that emphasise the importance of having and maintaining a sense of presence 鈥 both visual and aural. The exhibition features a mixture of photographic sources, including images of the artist鈥檚 female friends, as well as magazine clippings, and found and donate images, in a cacophony of voices and textures that are each accentuated and subverted in acts of layering, revealing and removal.
In these searing, original portraits, Walters also focuses on the notion of fragility 鈥 cutting away strips of figures and allowing them, in this way, to be vulnerable, and for this to be presented as both a beautiful concept and a human strength. The artist continues: 鈥淲hen I was growing up, there was this notion that, by showing any signs of weakness meant that you weren鈥檛 complete, or that you needed to be more. If I wasn鈥檛 vulnerable, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to make the work.鈥
Walters鈥 pieces always feature Black women as a focal point, but she rarely moves into self-portraiture. However, for MAC Birmingham, she has made a new large-scale sculptural work, Beneath the Surface (2022). The piece, which is encased within a light box, draws on the artist鈥檚 fascination with nature and the extent to which green spaces are racialised. As Walters expands: 鈥淚 love being in rural settings. Sometimes I鈥檓 the only Black person in that space, but I feel at peace in those areas. So often, we鈥檙e exclude from those environments 鈥 where we shouldn鈥檛 be. When I鈥檓 working, I like to create those magical spaces, where there is that freedom to be in the landscape, and to feel free and whole. Through Seeing Ourselves, I wanted to reclaim those spaces, because so often we鈥檙e not highlighted there.鈥
This innovative exhibition is part of a wider assessment of underrepresentation in the industry, exploring diversity and multiplicity on a much broader scale, rejecting the notion of a 鈥渟ingle Black narrative鈥, and responding to a lack of visibility within culture at large. Here, Walters makes conscious decisions to reframe and to reclaim agency through the mechanism of art. As she notes: 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much work to be done, and I want to instigate that change.鈥
Sharon Walters: Seeing Ourselves is at Arena Gallery, Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham, until 26 June. Find out more .
Credits:
1. Stills courtesy of Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham.
