In Living Colour Season

Highlighting untold stories and celebrating creativity

Our October to January season features three exhibitions and a vibrant events programme celebrating untold stories and spotlighting creativity from leading People of Colour in art, music and fashion. Exhibitions featuring artists Nahem Shoa, Desmond Haughton and Deanio X challenge exclusion from the art world and untold stories from history, making the invisible visible whilst Hull’s Black Heritage Collective have developed an exhibition celebrating the transformative power of Black musical traditions.

This programme has been co-produced with the artists and local people of colour.

Exhibitions

ICON

Echoes of Our Heritage

4 October -  26 January 

Wilberforce House Museum

Echoes of Our Heritage is a captivating exhibition that explores the rich history of Black music. As part of "The Sound of Our Skin" festival, this exhibition celebrates the vibrant and transformative power of Black musical traditions.

Free, drop-in.

A portrait of a man.

Deanio X - To Heal A Butterfly

28 September 2024 - 31 March 2025

Wilberforce House Museum

Leading artist Deanio X has been commissioned to produce a series of thought-provoking artworks for temporary display at Wilberforce House Museum.  

Free drop-in

A portrait of a man

Seen and Unseen

18 October 2024 - 26 January 2025

Ferens Art Gallery

​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.

Free drop-in

Events

Photo of Nahem Shoa next to his artwork

Artist Talk: Nahem Shoa

Friday 18 October, 2pm-3pm, Ferens Art Gallery, Free, drop-in

Join Nahem Shoa, artist and co-curator of Seen and Unseen for a tour of the exhibition, which brings together outstanding masterpiece paintings, some that will be seen for the first time in a British art gallery.

A sculpture of the head of a woman

Carol Jacobi Talk on the art of Isabel Rawsthorne

Monday 4 November 2pm-3.30pm, Ferens Art Gallery, Free, booking required.

Isabel Rawsthorne is often remembered as an artist’s muse rather than an artist in her own right. Recently 4 works were gifted to the Ferens Art Gallery and in 2021 Carol Jacobi published the monograph Out of the Cage, the Art of Isabel Rawsthorne. In this talk Carol tells Rawsthorne’s story, while highlighting her significance as an artist. Carol Jacobi is Curator of British Art 1850-1915 at Tate Britain and a specialist on nineteenth century British Art.

A black and white photograph of a woman speaking at an event.

Reflections on Being a part of a Black Activist Photography movement in the 1980's & 1990's

Thursday 9 January, 2pm-3pm, Ferens Art Gallery, Free, drop-in

Join Hull based artist Glynis A. Neslen to find out about her artistic practise.

Glynis focuses on producing portraitures and positive images of Black women in her photographs, some which have recently been published in an Anthology: Shining Lights: Black Women Photographers in 1980s–90s Britain. Edited by Joy Gregory

Felabration

Felabration 2024: Look and Laugh in the UK Closing Ceremony

Sunday 20 October, 6pm - 9pm, Ferens Art Gallery, Free drop-in

The gallery is hosting the closing ceremony of Felabration 2024: Look and Laugh in the UK. Felabration is an annual global festival celebrating the life and legacy of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The ceremony will feature live performances, art exhibitions, and a vibrant celebration of African music, dance, and culture.