Grace Lee (SOME.GAL)

Grace Lee is a multidisciplinary artist of Jamaican and Scottish heritage from Sheffield.  Lee is a Delphian Gallery Open Call Winner (2023) and has exhibited with Monaverse Lisbon,  The Museum of Colour (Manchester Poetry Library, Bodleian Libraries and Pitt’s River Museum) and the Hagtitude exhibition at The Gallery 54 in Mayfair.


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In the gallery:

1

Five into a Hundred

As one of five portraits of Pawlet Brookes MBE, the curator of 100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark,…
1

A triptych portrait of a Black woman wearing an orange jumper and silver earrings. This piece showcases three very different joyful emotions against a textured, vibrant blue background.

Five into a Hundred

Pawlet Brookes MBE

As one of five portraits of Pawlet Brookes MBE, the curator of 100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark, it provides a snapshot of what the exhibition sought to achieve, with each portrait acting as the artist’s signature and an introduction to their individual technique and style.

Grace Lee (SOME.GAL) channelling several mediums, seeks to capture multiple emotions in a vignette of three expressions.

Medium: Digital photographic print on Ilford Galerie Smooth Gloss
Size: 68cm x 56cm x 3cm

2

We Love Pauline Black

Pauline Black was the founding member of the 2-Tone Ska band, The Selecter in 1979.  Black and her band members…
2

This portrait depicts a Black woman, wearing a hat and black jacket with gold embellishments while holding a microphone. On her black t-shirt features some silver triangular details. The background is deep red with white abstract shapes.

We Love Pauline Black

Pauline Black OBE DL

Pauline Black was the founding member of the 2-Tone Ska band, The Selecter in 1979.  Black and her band members were credited for starting the ska revival movement.  Known as the Queen of Ska, Black has also featured as an actress in television and theatre as well as being a published author.

Medium: Acrylic, holographic fabric on reclaimed pin board
Size: 60cm x 40cm x 1.5cm

3

A Round of Applause

Paulette Randall is an actress, director, producer and BAFTA nominee.  Randall was the first Black female director of a West…
3

A portrait of a Black woman with short afro hair, sitting on a wooden chair in all-black attire, green glasses, and iridescent bracelets. The background features various tones of red with abstractly patterned darker red shapes.

A Round of Applause

Paulette Randall MBE

Paulette Randall is an actress, director, producer and BAFTA nominee.  Randall was the first Black female director of a West End production.  She has experience in both stage and screen and was awarded an MBE for services to drama.  Randall co-founded the first Black women’s theatre company, Theatre of Black Women.

Medium: Acrylic, oil pastel and holographic fabric on canvas
Size: 57.5cm x 41cm x 2.5cm

4

A Care for Our Own

Liz Pemberton is an early years anti-racism consultant and founder of the Black Nursery Manager.  Her work revolves around the…
4

A portrait of a Black woman sitting with her eyes closed and a warm smile. She wears a camouflage jacket and dark purple palm leaves surround the sitter on each side. The background features light blue, purple and yellow and the Jamaican coat of arms.

A Care for Our Own

Liz Pemberton

Liz Pemberton is an early years anti-racism consultant and founder of the Black Nursery Manager.  Her work revolves around the need to create open, honest conversations with children who are discovering race, sex, gender from early ages, but do not know how to navigate it.  The work aims to teach and educate children to avoid the development of hateful rhetoric as they grow.

Medium: Acrylic, spray paint and oil pastel on canvas
Size: 81cm x 49.5cm x 4cm

5

We Were Never Meant to Survive

1928 – 1992 Kath Locke was an activist based in Manchester, who alongside Elouise Edwards, co-founded the Manchester Black Women’s…
5

A portrait of a Black woman with an afro in a dark red jumper with a white shirt and the collars sitting neatly on top. She holds a baby dressed in white to the left side of her body. The background features a vibrant red and earthy green pattern with the words 'sizalewe ukusinda' above her in holographic fabric on canvas.

We Were Never Meant to Survive

Kath Locke

1928 – 1992

Kath Locke was an activist based in Manchester, who alongside Elouise Edwards, co-founded the Manchester Black Women’s Co-operative and Abasindi Co-operative.  Locke campaigned for the awareness of Black history in Manchester, including campaigning for Black history to be taught in schools and her campaign to commemorate the 1945 Pan-African Congress with a red plaque.

Medium: Acrylic, oil pastel and holographic fabric on canvas

Size: 63cm x 53cm x 3cm

6

Samenua's Apothecary

Samenua Sesher is a writer and cultural management consultant.  She is the Founder of the Museum of Colour, a digital…
6

A tactile portrait on wooden apothecary drawers of a Black woman with locks, wearing glasses and vibrant pink lipstick. She wears a tonal blue floral t-shirt and multiple necklaces. The vibrant blue background is complimented with moss and grass flocking in some of the drawers.

Samenua's Apothecary

Samenua Sesher OBE

Samenua Sesher is a writer and cultural management consultant.  She is the Founder of the Museum of Colour, a digital museum celebrating the achievements of people of colour within film, television and the arts.  Sesher is also a cross-artform producer, working in theatre, television, community arts and heritage.

Medium: Acrylic oil pastel, moss and grass flocking, on an apothecary cabinet containing hessian bags filled with essential oils of bergamot, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver and tomato leaf

Size: 37cm x 32cm x 10cm

7

Good Vibes Only

Leanne Pero is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Movement Factory and Dancer.  She provides access for Black communities…
7

A Black woman with long hair sits on a pink cushioned chair with her legs crossed wearing black attire. The background features the corner of a desk with a green laptop, phone and chair tucked in. On the wall is a mirror and the words in holographic fabric 'Good Vibes Only' above her head on a pale blue background.

Good Vibes Only

Leanne Pero MBE

Leanne Pero is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Movement Factory and Dancer.  She provides access for Black communities to reclaim dance spaces that have been historically inaccessible and inspires young people to use dance as a tool to create life skills.  Pero is also the founder of The Leanne Pero Foundation and Black Women Rising, which were created to empower Black women through cancer diagnoses, provide peer-to-peer support, exhibitions and collective care to prevent loneliness and isolation.

Medium: Acrylic, coloured pencil and holographic fabric on canvas
Size: 66cm x 50cm x 3.4cm

8

Make Good Trouble

Berverley Bryan is dedicated to campaigning for change against police harassment and raising the public consciousness around the issue. She…
8

A Black woman with short afro hair sits on a chair with her right arm resting across her stomach and her left hand resting underneath her chin. She wears a bright patterned orange, blue and greet t-shirt, a large gold circular necklace, silver bracelets and drop earrings. The background features a blue sky, vibrant greenery and a yellow wall the the left side of the piece.

Make Good Trouble

Dr Beverley Bryan

Berverley Bryan is dedicated to campaigning for change against police harassment and raising the public consciousness around the issue. She is the founding member of the Brixton Black Women’s group.  Alongside her activism, Bryan is also a published author, co-founder of the Caribbean Poetry Project at the University of Cambridge and a retired Professor of Language education.

Medium: Acrylic, holographic fabric, oil pastel and flock on canvas
Size: 60cm x 45cm x 3cm

9

Truthteller

Olivette Otele is a historian whose academic research focuses on cultural and collective memory, trauma, recovery and the memorialisation of…
9

Portrait depicts a smiling Black woman wearing a dark red patterned tunic with gold detailed elements. Her arms are crossed and she has her eyes closed alongside a warm soft smile. She is surrounded by green vegetation of green and blues.

Truthteller

Professor Olivette Otele FRHIstS FLSW

Olivette Otele is a historian whose academic research focuses on cultural and collective memory, trauma, recovery and the memorialisation of the past, analysing the legacies of colonisation in post-slavery societies and publishing articles about Afro-European identities.  Otele was the first Black woman to be made a professor of history in the UK and the first Professor of the History of Slavery at Bristol University.

Medium: Acrylic, oil pastel and flocking on reclaimed canvas
Size: 71cm x 71cm x 3.5cm

10

The World's a Stage

Winsome Pinnock is a playwright whose work showcases the link between Great Britain and the Caribbean, including Leave Talking, Talking…
10

Portrait of a Black woman with a shaven head wearing a black and white striped t-shirt and dropped hopped earrings. The green tonal background features tree branches with a yellow hue.

The World's a Stage

Winsome Pinnock FRSL

Winsome Pinnock is a playwright whose work showcases the link between Great Britain and the Caribbean, including Leave Talking, Talking in Tongues and The Principles of Cartography, where she provides better opportunities and access to Black people in theatre who deserve recognition because of this historical connection.  Pinnock was also Associate Professor at Kingston University and head of the Creative Writing department.

Medium: Acrylic gel medium, posca pens on reclaimed photographic canvas
Size: 81cm x 50cm x 5cm

11

Aislinn

1946 – 2014 As well as working as a nurse and midwife, Christine Buckley fought for justice for survivors of…
11

The portrait depicts a Black woman with short afro hair wearing a dark purple jumper and a red skirt. She is sitting down and reading the book Aislinn; the book is in her right hand, and her head rests in her left palm. The warm yellow background is accompanied by red roses on the left side of her and blue strips behind where she sits.

Aislinn

Christine Buckley

1946 – 2014

As well as working as a nurse and midwife, Christine Buckley fought for justice for survivors of childhood abuse from state-supported religious institutions in Ireland.  From this work, Buckley founded the Aislinn Centre, later renamed the Christine Buckley Centre, which supports survivors with educational and core skills.

Medium: Acrylic, collaged paper, oil pastel and spray paint on canvas
Size: 150cm x 100cm x 1.5cm

12

Butetown Girl

1934 – 2017 Alongside her activism, Betty Campbell was Wales’ first Black headteacher in Butetown, Cardiff.  Campbell helped in the…
12

Looking straight ahead and leaning on a light brown desk is a smiling Black woman with brown shoulder-length hair, a patterned green top, glasses, a watch and a silver and white scarf draped loosely around her neck. Her right hand rests on the table, and her left hand slightly rests on her cheek. In the background there is a school building and playground.

Butetown Girl

Betty Campbell MBE

1934 – 2017

Alongside her activism, Betty Campbell was Wales’ first Black headteacher in Butetown, Cardiff.  Campbell helped in the creation of Black History Month with her efforts in Wales and taught her students an introduction to Black history in her lessons.  Outside of teaching, Campbell was also a member of the Home Office’s Race Advisory Committee and a member of the commission for Racial Equality, later receiving an MBE for her services to education and community life.

Medium: Acrylic, oil pastel and holographic fabric on canvas
Size: 65cm x 50cm x 2cm

13

Standing on the Shoulders of her Heroes

Ekua Bayunu is an artist and politician, whose journey in politics began when she joined the Labour Party in 2016. …
13

A Black woman sits and smiles with her head slightly turned to the left. She wears glasses, a dark green hat and a top, with a dark red scarf. The floral green and purple background features three smaller portraits of Black women in small orange outlined circles and an African Marimba.

Standing on the Shoulders of her Heroes

Ekua Bayunu

Ekua Bayunu is an artist and politician, whose journey in politics began when she joined the Labour Party in 2016.  She later joined Manchester City Council’s Green Party after struggling with the culture of the Labour Party.  Bayunu was Manchester Councillor for Hulme from 2021 – 2024 whilst keeping her passion for art alive in focussing on sculpture and filmmaking.

Medium: Acrylic, ink pen, holographic fabric and oil pastels on canvas
Size: 69cm x 51cm x 2cm

14

Beyond Containment

1915 – 1964 Claudia Jones was a journalist, writer, poet and community activist.  She was the founder of the West…
14

The portrait depicts a Black woman on the phone in a blue jacket and white shirt in front of a typewriter. She is surrounded by copies of the West Indian Gazette and dancers wearing feathered headdresses representing Notting Hill Carnival.

Beyond Containment

Claudia Jones

1915 – 1964

Claudia Jones was a journalist, writer, poet and community activist.  She was the founder of the West Indian Gazette, which served as a catalyst for a public and political consciousness of Black people in Britain.  Jones also founded the Notting Hill Carnival as a response to the Notting Hill and Nottingham Riots of 1958, bringing Caribbean and African Caribbean culture to the forefront of British life.

Medium: Acrylic, holographic fabric, ink pen and oil pastel on canvas
Size: 59cm x 59cm x 2.5cm

15

Black Poppy Rose

Selena Carty is a cultural and ancestral genealogist, whose work focuses on uncovering lost stories in military history.  She founded…
15

A profile-style portrait of a Black woman with braided hair, a vibrant orange top, a detailed orange and dark blue jacket, silver earrings and a bracelet. She sits with her left hand resting on a dark brown table and her chin resting in her right hand as she looks out with a serene expression. The light blue background features African Cowrie and the portrait of a Black man in military uniform on the left side.

Black Poppy Rose

Selena Carty

Selena Carty is a cultural and ancestral genealogist, whose work focuses on uncovering lost stories in military history.  She founded the BlackPoppyRose in 2010 and she has created forms of remembrance for Black, Indigenous and Global communities who participated in wars.  Carty’s work makes a profound commitment to unveiling and preserving the contributions of Black communities, addressing historical omissions and celebrates the legacy of marginalised groups.

Size: 91cm x 61cm x 2cm

16

Faith is my Backbone

Yvette Philbert is a diplomat and business consultant, who has worked across various fields including roles as the director of…
16

A portrait of a Black woman in a bright green cardigan, red head scarf and top, sharing a warm smile. Behind her features a yellow circle, mustard yellow, dark blue and teal patterned background.

Faith is my Backbone

Yvette Philbert

Yvette Philbert is a diplomat and business consultant, who has worked across various fields including roles as the director of modelling competitions and fashion industries, Events Coordinator at Commonwealth Countries League and Founding Partner and Operations Director of All African Colours UK.

Medium: Acrylic and holographic fabric on canvas
Size: 61cm x 51cm x 3cm

17

A Girl from Mogadishu

As an international anti-FGM activist, Ifrah Ahmed founded the Ifrah Foundation to campaign for the eradication of FGM in any…
17

The portrait features a Black woman in floral blue attire and a warm blue headscarf that is knotted to the right side of her head and the rest of the material draped in front of her. Her soft smile is complemented by a warm yellow background and dark yellow symbols.

A Girl from Mogadishu

Ifrah Ahmed

As an international anti-FGM activist, Ifrah Ahmed founded the Ifrah Foundation to campaign for the eradication of FGM in any form.  Working mostly in Somalia, the Ifrah Foundation develops partnerships with key collaborators to implement their three pillars of action: Advocacy, Awareness and Community Empowerment.  Ahmed is also founder of United Youth of Ireland, which supports young immigrants and refugees in establishing businesses.

Medium: Acrylic and gel medium, posca pens on reclaimed photographic canvas
Size: 81cm x 50cm x 4cm

18

Evergreen Heather

Heather Melville is an experienced leader who works to create a culture where everybody is valued, supported and developed to…
18

Submerged in vibrant green vegetation where purple flowers feature. This portrait depicts a Black woman wearing a grass green jacket, circular silver necklace and earrings.

Evergreen Heather

Dr Heather Melville OBE CCMI

Heather Melville is an experienced leader who works to create a culture where everybody is valued, supported and developed to showcase skills regardless of background.  Melville is Chancellor of the University of York, where she is leading on a commitment to attract more diverse talent into the pipeline of education and UK businesses.  She is also Director of CEO advisory firm, Teneo.

Medium: Acrylic, oil pastel and spray paint on canvas 
Size: 91cm x 66cm x 3cm

 

19

Pillar of the Community

Eve Pitts was the first Black female vicar of the Church of England and is passionate about bringing forward the…
19

In this stained glass window style portrait sits a Black woman with short blue afro hair, in a white shirt and tonal blue scarf. The sitter is surrounded by blues, purples, yellows and greens.

Pillar of the Community

Reverend Eve Pitts

Eve Pitts was the first Black female vicar of the Church of England and is passionate about bringing forward the institutional issues within the Church of England, with a focus on teaching the histories of slavery and unlearning the colonial ideas embedded within the church.  Pitts is also a campaigner for the Church of England to recognise Emancipation Day.

Medium: Acrylic for glass, conductive tape, copper foil on Perspex sheet
Size: 130cm x 90cm x 1cm

20

The Unknown Suffragette

1870 – 1954 Jessie Margaret Soga as a Suffragette and singer and was one of the only Black suffrage campaigners…
20

This full-body portrait is of a Black woman standing with her back to the viewer, with only the slightest glimpse of the side of her face. She has her hair tied back in a bun. She is wearing a tartan dress and surrounded by a symbol of Fisk University, a chip for votes for women, a portrait of a couple and a thistle on the left. The background also features an orange flower on her right and a floral blue boarder.

The Unknown Suffragette

Jessie Margaret Soga LRAM

1870 – 1954

Jessie Margaret Soga as a Suffragette and singer and was one of the only Black suffrage campaigners in Scotland.  Soga travelled across Europe and America, teaching and performing music and singing, where she also toured with Fiske Jubilee Singers.  She also used her musical talent to raise funds as a leading member of Women’s Freedom League in Glasgow and Women’s Social and Political Union.

Medium: Digital illustration printed on vinyl LED lightbox display
Size: 200cm x 100cm x 10cm

21

Welcome to my Workshop

Clary Salandy is a carnival artist and costume designer, whose work has featured in many events nationally and internationally.  Her…
21

A 3D bust of a Black woman wearing a green hat, a blue floral scarf and a blue and black striped top with the logo for Mahogany. She tilts her head slightly upwards to the left with a soft smile.

Welcome to my Workshop

Clary Salandy

Clary Salandy is a carnival artist and costume designer, whose work has featured in many events nationally and internationally.  Her work has featured at the first Afro-Asian games in Hyderabad, the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics and Geraldine Connor’s Carnival Messiah, where Salandy earned her Cacique award for outstanding costume design.  Salandy is also the Artistic Director of Mahogany Carnival Arts and Associate Artistic Director of UK Centre for Carnival Arts.

Medium: Reclaimed carnival studio fabrics, insulation foam, hanging baskets, hair weave, chains, gel medium, acrylic paint, false eyelashes and posca pens

Size: 67.5cm x 61cm x 45cm

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