An early member of the BLK Art Group, a trailblazing figure in the Black British art movement and a pioneer of Black feminist art, Claudette Johnson (b. 1959) is one of the most significant figurative artists of her generation. Coinciding with Claudette Johnson: Presence (The Courtauld Gallery, 29 September 2023 – 14 January 2024), her first monographic show at a major London gallery, the 2023 Frank Davis lecture series brings together academics, artists and curators to reflect on the histories, trajectories and legacies of Black British art and artists. The lectures, together with the exhibition, seek to encourage renewed thinking around Black aesthetics in the work of Black British artists today.
Organised by Professor Dorothy Price, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art and Critical Race Art History, The Courtauld and Xiaojue Michelle Zhu, PhD student, The Courtauld.
