The New Black Vanguard, currently on display at Saatchi Gallery, London, brings together 15 international Black artists in a celebration of Black creativity both in front of and behind the camera. Curated by writer and critic Antwaun Sargent, the exhibition comprises vibrant portraits that re-imagine notions of Black beauty, and is an amalgamation of art, fashion and culture. “This exhibition is an exploration of this generation’s Black image makers who are bringing fresh perspective to photography. Image by image, they have created a loose global network around their art that powerfully centres identity, community and desire. The artists in this show profoundly reanimate the possibilities of contemporary photography” says Sargent. One such artist is South Africa-born Jamal Nxedlana (b. 1985) whose images are rooted in an Afro-Surrealist style. From first purchasing a camera in 2009, to co-founding Bubblegum Club – a digital publishing company – in 2015 to “help build the self-belief of the talented minds out there”, Nxedlana is intent on creating “an alternative image repertoire to tackle biased views of Africa.”
Read the full interview here
