Celebrate Black History Month with The Obsidian Collective

By Hannah Rooke
published

Silvia Rosi and Renne Maria Osubu amongst young black artists taking part in The New Wave exhibition in London

Black History month: The New Wave exhibition
Photo from an ongoing project - Home Is Where The Heart Is (Image credit: Rŷanna Allen for Converse x Content Lab)

In celebration of Black History Month which runs from October 1 - 31, the London College of Communication is hosting an exhibition in collaboration with The Obsidian Collection. The New Wave exhibition will take place from October 19 - 28, showcasing a thought-provoking series of images on the theme of home, heritage, community, the white gaze, and the Black experience. 

Included in the list of exhibiting photographers is Silvia Rosi who won the Vic Odden Award from The Royal Photographic Society Awards (opens in new tab) in 2021. Her work explores her Togoloaise heritage, personal history and the idea of origins through a series of self-portraits where she plays her mother and father. Influenced by  West African studio portraits, her photos are colorful and contemporary yet seated in tradition.

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Black history month: the new wave exhibition

Self Portrait As my Mother. Jerwood Commission, 2020 (Image credit: Silvia Rosi)

Rosi is joined by London College of Communications graduate Renne Maria Osubu who received critical acclaim for the short film Dear Philadelphia (opens in new tab) which is an ode to community, culture and cinematography. Rŷanna Allen who recently collaborated with converse will also be showcasing her work centered around home both as a physical place and a feeling. 

Archival material from the Anita McKenzie Picture Archives contains authentic and everyday experiences of the Black and Asian communities from the 18th - 21st century will also be on show along with support from AI company DeepMind (opens in new tab).

Black History month: The New Wave exhibition

Film still from Dear Philadelphia  (Image credit: Renee Maria Osubu)

Angela Ford, executive director of The Obsidian Collection (a user-friendly, virtual portal for black culture and history) said, “Bringing The Obsidian Collection to the UK through these partnerships is a dream come true for me!  Our mission is to bring the global Black diaspora to a common portal and this is our first step.”

Curated by Adrian Wood and D. Wiafe, this exhibition gives new meaning to ‘youth-led’ enterprises while supporting and celebrating the work of young, black creatives. The exhibition at Well Gallery is free to attend but tickets must be booked via the website (opens in new tab) to avoid disappointment.

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Hannah Rooke
Hannah Rooke
Staff Writer

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. For the last 3 years Hannah has worked at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With 5 years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.

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