The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery

Two photographers with South London roots have had work featured in a ground-breaking exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery in King’s Road,Chelsea, writes Regina Motalib.

Curated by New York-based writer and critic, Antwaun Sargent, The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion exhibition, celebrates black culture through fashion portraiture – giving a freedom to the black figure from photographic histories dominated by a white aesthetic.

South London photographers Nadine Ijewere and Campbell Addy, are among the 15 black photographers featured.

The exhibition, supported by Burberry sees celebrated photographers contributing to a new vision of the black figure and reframing representation in art and fashion.

Nadine Ijeware’s work focuses primarily on the subjects of identity and diversity and is influenced by her own Nigerian/Jamaican background.

She said: “The New Black Vanguard means a lot to me. It’s an important milestone in history where the work of young black artists have been curated beautifully and published in a book.

“It’s a dream for this show to be exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery. This represents progress and more boundaries being removed. London is my home, I still remember school trips to the Saatchi! Now we are here, together, telling our stories.”

Campbell Addy said: “Many moons ago, as a newly graduated student, Antwaun Sargent came to me to talk about the experiences in the industry and what’s needed.

“Speaking about the book he hopes to create – I implored him and said “if only I had seen a book like that when I was younger, a project of profound joy and happiness, that showcased blackness in its variety in visual media. Maybe then it wouldn’t have been such a struggle for me to just imagine myself as one of those artists.”

The exhibition is running until Sunday.

Website: The New Black Vanguard – Exhibition – Saatchi Gallery

Picture: Campbell Addy, Adut Akech, 2019, from The New Black Vanguard (Aperture, 2019) Picture: Campbell Addy