This May as part of our 50th year celebrations, former London Agent and visual artist Dulcie Davy will be presenting a new exhibition in our building. Timeless Innovation: The Contemporary Black Woman celebrates Black women today while paying homage to the legacy of Black female innovation throughout history – this showcase is a testament to that resilience and creativity.
Inspired by the seminal work of Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid MBE, whose groundbreaking exhibition “Black Woman Time Now” graced the walls of BAC in 1983, this event marks a pivotal moment in the 50-year history of Battersea Arts Centre. Reflecting on the cultural significance of this iconic venue, we honour its past by echoing the spirit of a transformative exhibition held four decades ago.
“With this year being the 50th anniversary of Battersea Arts Centre, the display is a tribute to Black women, but it also commemorates the historical and cultural significance of the building, paying homage to the exhibition held in the same room 41 years ago.”
Dulcie Davy, Curator and Artist
These brilliant young Black women artists, Dulcie Davy, Tamia Stone-Martin, Tyreis Holder, QansaXart, and Chimna Lionn, are showcasing original works in response to the theme ‘The Contemporary Black Woman’. They explore the multifaceted dimensions of the contemporary Black woman experience through diverse mediums and perspectives.
A short film accompanies this exhibition, created by a talented Black female filmmaker Latoya Okuneye, detailing the artistic process behind each piece and the connection between each artist and the local area. This will premiere during the Private View and will be available to view within the exhibition.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Dulcie Davy
Dulcie Davy, a visual artist from south London, primarily works within the mediums of painting and sculpture. She specialises in sculpted functional art, drawing inspiration from the beauty and diversity within the female Black community, viewed through an afrofuturistic lens. She also creates large paintings that celebrate the essence of the divine feminine. Her work is influenced by both her mixed-race heritage and the vibrant city she grew up in.
Tamia Stone-Martin
Tamia Stone-Martin (b. 1998), born in South London with Jamaican heritage, is a visual and tattoo artist working across London and internationally. A qualified nurse turned full-time artist, Tamia uses a combination of spray paint and acrylic markers on canvas to simultaneously express and connect to the mundanity and the abstraction of emotions and their nuances.
Tyreis Holder
Tyreis Holder is an Artist, Poet and Visual Storyteller from South London, with heritage reigning from Jamaican/St Vincent. She works heavily in mediums pertaining to installation, textiles, performance, poetry, sculpture and sound.
Chimna Lionn
Meet Chimna Lionn, a creative soul whose discipline is in fashion design yet has found herself exploring the captivating realm of photography. Drawn to the magic of freezing moments in time, Chimna loves how each image can speak volumes, whispering different stories to every viewer based on their own experiences. She’s all about those candid shots but is also on a playful journey of self-discovery, experimenting with her unique style along the way.
QansaXart
QansaXart communicates the emotional, spiritual, and mental journey of growth and acceptance of its uncomfortable yet necessary circumstances, while also finding joy in healing through her work. She achieves this by creating abstract paintings that exist in a world of their own, utilizing purposeful colors inspired by Somali culture and forms derived from sacred geometry and Islamic art.
