Difficult conversations

© Leasho Johnson

Can white artists enter a dialogue on slavery?

Is this appropriation?

Or an attempt to reinsert voice and identity?

Creole Portraits II © Joscelyn Gardner

Whose stories are really being told?

Difficult Conversations

Difficult Conversations is a series of exhibitions, student mentorships and public conversations reflecting on the UK's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade throughout the Caribbean.

A group of artists from the Caribbean and the UK explored how ancestry and modern society shaped their views on this contentious issue.

As a catalyst to stir new transatlantic conversations, the art challenges and interrogates western exoticism of Caribbean life.

Difficult Conversations

To open up conversations across the waters, Graham Fagen, one of Scotland's most influential artists, travelled to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, where he mentored students and hosted public discussions and presentations of his work, The Slave's Lament.

As part of his presentations, Graham mixes media and crosses continents; combining sculpture with text, live music, and plants.

By encouraging his students to explore their personal journeys, Graham attempted to understand the powerful forces that shaped his life and others.

Robert Burns’ poem, "The Slave’s Lament", served as the springboard for Graham’s installation which formed part of his exhibition representing Scotland at the 2015 Venice Biennale.

Even though the lyrics of "The Slave’s Lament" are over 200 years old, the narrative remains entirely contemporary in light of current tragedies unfolding on borders across the world.

While presenting his installation, Graham was able to open dialogues with the public around his artwork.

Graham was interested in seeing how this particular piece would read and be received in the Caribbean – a culturally varied space where an estimated 1.6 million people were brought under the transatlantic slave trade.

Discovering Routes and Roots

In light of recent debates surrounding cultural appropriation, Graham sought to communicate the journey he took to creating his piece with sensitivity and nuance.

By investigating his own journey, Graham was able to guide young minds to help them develop their own, unique voice.

If you think of culture always as a return to roots – ROOTS – you’re missing the point.

I think of culture as routes – ROUTES – the various routes by which people travel, culture travels, culture moves, culture develops, culture changes, cultures migrate, etc.

- Stuart Hall

By seeking advice from fellow artists, historians and cultural experts, Graham interrogated the roots which led to him developing his installation as well as new understanding of Afro-Caribbean history.

Graham’s discovery and interrogation of these difficult subjects played a part in opening conversations in the UK and the nation’s involvement in the slave trade.

Graham's time exploring the Caribbean questioned how he approaches developing his art whilst mentoring young, creative minds.

In turn, his journey provided the tools needed to nurture students' creative instincts, pulling from their own life experiences.

We Have Met Before

Revisiting the challenging subject of the transatlantic slave trade, the We Have Met Before exhibition gathers contemporary responses by four British and Caribbean artists.

The four artists and the works selected for this exhibition – which include pieces by Graham Fagen, Joscelyn Gardner, Leasho Johnson, and Ingrid Pollard – represent a conversation on the histories of slavery, and its present-day implications.

Each brings a distinctive perspective to this subject area, with work that was created in different locales, different media, and at different points in time.

Meet the artists

Graham Fagen's work reflects his interest in the Caribbean which began as a young man, listening to reggae music in a housing estate in Scotland.

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Spaces that defy gender, religious and sexual norms have inspired Jamaican artist, Leasho Johnson’s, work. His current work features characters used as parodies to exaggerate gender roles in dancehall society.

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Visit the gallery

The exhibition will be touring across the Caribbean at the following venues and dates:

The National Gallery of Jamaica
September 22nd - November 26th 2017

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas
March 22 - July 29th 2018

Download now

Discover more about the inspirations and methodology behind Difficult Conversations and We Have Met Before by downloading our digital publications.