Since 2015, Black Blossoms – the London-based arts organisation founded by Bolanle Tajudeen – has celebrated the work of Black women artists and pushed for a more inclusive art world. Now, it’s partnering with Tate Britain for a one-night-only event to showcase a range of works centred around the intersectionality of diasporic identities, a theme summed up in a single word: Flourish.
Building on Black Blossoms’ work as a curatorial platform and online art school – with courses focusing on diversity throughout various aspects of contemporary art – the evening show aims to encourage critical thinking and promote social justice in a cultural setting, via works by the likes of Hamed Maiye, an interdisciplinary artist whose work spans Afro-Portraitism, set design, and drawings sketched from his dreams.
As part of the Late at Tate event, Maiye will build an art installation onsite, drawing on memory, magic, and elements of visual archiving, challenging viewers’ perceptions of reality and the constructed nature of memory and history.
Elsewhere, London-based artists Rebecca Bellantoni and Elsa James – both known for driving social change through their artistic practice – will be performing for attendees. For an idea of what to expect, Bellantoni’s work typically explores the philosophical aspects of reality, as tied up with the experiences of marginalised communities; James’ focus lies in issues of race, gender, diaspora, and belonging, with a specific emphasis on disrupting cultural stereotypes.
From the Tate’s own collection, the evening will also feature “The Unfinished Conversation”. Taking inspiration from the influential cultural theorist and political thinker Stuart Hall, and curated by Tate Britain’s Aïcha Mehrez, this selection of artworks reflects on the challenges and opportunities of our time through the lens of representation in the arts and broader society.
Flourish will run for one night only as part of Tate Britain’s Late at Tate on March 24. For more information, visit Tate’s website, and get a closer look at the featured artists’ work in the gallery above.
