Seen and Unseen is a contemporary figurative art exhibition that explores the themes of race, identity, gender and diversity, nature and climate change, through the works of outstanding racially marginalised artists. The exhibition aims to promote artists that haven’t yet been fully recognised for their achievements, and questions who has ‘not been allowed in’ to the artworld.
This exhibition showcases the work of two pioneering artists, Desmond Haughton and Nahem Shoa, who for over 35 years have made identity and the human condition the theme of their artistic expression. They have been shining a light on a part of British society, which the establishment and art world exclude. Through their work Shoa and Haughton have made the invisible visible in all its beauty and complexity.
Co-curated by Shoa and the Ferens and including works from the Ferens’ collection, the exhibition brings out stories through new interpretations by juxtaposing them with loans of work by important black artists. This exhibition aims to celebrate British contemporary figurative art in its rich variety of styles and unifying all these artists as in the aim of exploring new possibilities in art for the 21st century. It will also tell stories about the place of racially marginalised people in society today, help give a voice to the next generation, and make them feel included within the fabric British artistic culture.
