The Art Department celebrates Black history and culture
Throughout October, and to mark Black History Month, Charterhouse Art department have been running a series of workshops for pupils to investigate and make a collage artwork, dedicated to a significant Black individual from history and contemporary culture. Several pupils were then invited to exhibit their work, including Ariane, who created a portrait of the powerful South African artist Zanele Muholi, relating to a current show at the Tate Modern that will be visited by pupils.
Thoughts about who should be memorialized, with reference to the removed historical statue of Edward Coulston in Bristol, were questioned. Black Britons such as Samuel Colridge-Taylor, Claudia Jones, Olive Morris, Jack Leslie and more recently Marcus Rashford, deserve recognition for their impact on Britain’s story. Other international names such as Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Chadwick Boseman, Louis Armstrong and Mohamed Ali were just a small selection discussed from many possible names. Important significant Black women such as Angela Davies, Maya Angelou and astronaut Mae Carol Jemison were also studied.
Composing and creating an artwork using a portrait image with mixed-media collage, enabled students to reflect on the significance of these noteworthy individuals. Art can contribute to shifts in ways of thinking, asking the question; who should be memorialized and celebrated?
A virtual exhibition has been curated by Studio and can be visited using the link below:
Black History Month | Virtual Art Exhibition
