Celebrating Glasgow-Ghanaian artist Maud Sulter with a new exhibition
The National Trust for Scotland is to present a new exhibition of the work of the internationally renowned Glaswegian-Ghanaian artist, Maud Sulter (1960 -2008) at Pollok House, Glasgow.
Maud Sulter was an award-winning artist and writer, cultural historian and curator of Ghanaian and Scottish heritage who lived and worked in Britain, and whose work is now in museum collections around the world, including the V&A and Tate. Throughout her career and across different media, Maud Sulter’s work interrogated the representation of black women in the histories of art, the media and photography. An activist and feminist, she was often inspired by African American activists, artists, and writers. Her work explored the many connections between Africa and Europe, the often-hidden lives of black people, and the complex experiences of the African diaspora in European history and culture.
The exhibition features a range of works across Maud Sulter’s career including selections from her series Zabat and Hysteria. It offers visitors an opportunity to experience her recollections of growing up as a Black child in Scotland in the 1960s through her photographic series and suite of poems, both called Memories of Childhood.
Caroline Smith, National Trust for Scotland’s Operations Manager at Pollok House, said: “We’re thrilled to feature the work of Maud Sulter in this new exhibition at Pollok House. The exhibition’s opening in October coincides with Black History Month and so is especially appropriate given Sulter’s exploration and representations of black artists, women and culture across history.”
The Estate of Maud Sulter said: “It’s such a pleasure to see Maud Sulter’s work centre stage in her hometown of Glasgow. We’re delighted that this beautiful and historical institution is showcasing her art so new audiences will be able to connect with the engaging themes of her photography including Memories of Childhood.”
Inspiration for the exhibition has come from the National Trust for Scotland’s Facing our Past project, which has set out to investigate connections between the places and properties in its care and the wide diversity and identity of people involved throughout their history, including through links to slavery. As with many Trust properties, the heritage of Pollok House and its family history have multi-generational links to West Indian plantations and so provides an appropriate context within which to explore and understand themes contained within Sulter’s work.
Pollok House was the graceful 18th-century seat of the Stirling Maxwell family and was gifted along with its world-class collection of Italian and Spanish art by its family to the people of Glasgow in 1966. Glasgow City Council remains responsible for Pollok House, which is operated by The National Trust for Scotland on the city’s behalf. The Trust opened the changing exhibition gallery at Pollok House in 2017 and earlier this year, it featured an exhibition exploring the art and photography of Glasgow Boy E.A. Hornel, his Glasgow connections, and the identity of his sitters from Scotland and from around the world.
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/pollok-house
The exhibition runs from 15 October – 4 December 2022 and 6 January – 15 January 2023
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