When We See Us: Panoramic exhibition of Black figurative painting at Bozar

Viewing the black experience through the prism of joy is at the core of When We See Us, a comprehensive overview of Black figurative art from the past century at Bozar in Brussels until 10 August.

“This exhibition refuses to put pain and injustice at the forefront,” says co-curator Koyo Kouoh, director of the Zeitz MOCAA Museum of Contemporary Art Africa that is behind the show now touring Europe.

With 155 paintings by 118 artists, dating from the 1930s to the present day, the exhibition is an exuberant and nuanced showcase of Black self-representation. By celebrating the multiple ways artists from Africa and its far-flung diaspora depict their experiences, the show contributes to a critical discourse of African and black liberation, insists Kouoh and her co-curator Tandazani Dhlakama.

Their disruption of the usual narrative surrounding the Black experience is reflected in the exhibition’s title, which was inspired by the 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us about the true story of black youth being seen as potential criminals. Swapping “they” for “we” creates a crucial shift in perspective.

That is why it’s the artists that take centre-stage in this fresh panorama of representational painting with an ambitious chronological and geographical span. The works are presented in six themed, albeit overlapping chapters: The Everyday, Joy & Revelry, Repose, Sensuality and Triumph and Emancipation.

Paintings by renowned artists like Chéri Samba, Kehinde Wiley, Wilfredo Lam, Chris Ofili and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye can be found alongside works by lesser-known artists, many on show for the first time in Europe.

Most of the works have been loaned by private collectors, which is indicative of their absence from traditional art institutions. While contemporary figuration by Black artists is increasingly gaining ground in the art market, this show’s historical reach is one of its particular strengths.

Occupying the arts centre’s largest exhibition circuit, it is presented against a rich green backdrop with bright orange accents and a soundscape by South African composer Neo Muyanga. The introductory section compellingly details the daily rituals of life; public and private scenes at work, at home, at school and at play. The ‘stoep’ of front step is a symbolic place where people gather to discuss the minutiae of their lives.

In Zandile Tshabalala’s The Conversation, a woman sits with legs furled in a garden chair, her confident gaze defying the typical representation of black women. The young Sowetan artist is an impressive talent who deliberately repositions women centre stage, frequently in resting poses. The exhibition also features her magnificent Two Reclining Women (pictured) with the arresting pair eye-catchingly adorned in skimpy leopard print.

Bahamanian artist Lavar Monroe immersed himself in Senegalese life during one off his many visits to the African continent. The local custom of people coming together to eat is honoured in his mixed media work The Most Vulnerable Amongst Us (pictured), while also serving as a tribute to his grandmother who cooked for him.

The curators focus on how narratives shift when “we tell them on our own terms”, includes “wanting to show how artists have been making work devoid of trauma, work that refused to centre colonialism.” This underlines the “Black Joy” pervading each section, although the political context is rarely absent.

Despite South Africa’s apartheid era, lovers enjoy an evening at the cinema in George Pemba’s The Audience.  Meanwhile, the triumph of revolutionary leaders is celebrated in Chéri Chérin’s 2009 study of iconography in the painting Obama Revolution (pictured).

A personal archive of photos from the 1950s to 80s forms the inspiration for Esiri Erheriene-Essi’s endearing chronicle of Black experiences. The Birthday Party (pictured) is an exuberant pop art image of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko – who was assassinated in 1977 – celebrating his niece’s birthday. As the Nigerian-born British artist says, “we usually only see serious pictures of him… I was playful with the colours and put him in an Arsenal baseball hat.”

From redrawing the narrative to appropriating European art, Olivier Souffrant’s large-scale Lucid Dreamin’ includes fragments from Titian, Van Gogh and Picasso, as well as a homage to Alexander the Great in the Haitian artist’s digitally-created collage.

A final graphic timeline of important moments from two centuries of Black history provides some context for the exhibition, along with a reading space boasting a selection of books from the Black art historical canon.

With the spotlight firmly on multiple voices, also ensuring that women artists are fully represented, When We See Us is an insightful and enjoyable experience. Bozar’s exhibition director Zoe Gray urges everyone to discover this  “generous and urgent exhibition” and “its spirit of Black Joy” that spreads throughout the arts centre.

It is also accompanied by an extensive programme of concerts, performances, talks, screenings and guided tours. Bozar will also shortly launch the Bloomberg Connects App, which will provide information about a selection of works in the show.

When We See Us
Until 10 August
Bozar,
Rue Ravenstein 23
Brussels

Photos: (main image) Wangari Mathenge Sundials and Sonnets, courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects Los Angeles California ©Robert Wedemeyer; exhibition view ©JuliePollet; Cheri Samba Live Dans Les Sous-Sols Du Rex; ©Zandile Tshabalala Two reclining women 2020; exhibition view ©Julie Pollet; Cheri Cherin Obama Revolution 2009; Esiri Erheriene-Essi The Birthday Party 2021; exhibition view ©JuliePollet