The Wick Culture - Interview The Wick x Ekow Eshun, 'The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure' The Wick Culture - Interview The Wick x Ekow Eshun, 'The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure'
Video Interviews

Interview The Wick x Ekow Eshun, ‘The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure’

In conversation
Curator Ekow Eshun
In conversation
Curator Ekow Eshun
This Culturally Curious Hop takes you to National Portrait Gallery for its major spring exhibition The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure.

Curated by Ekow Eshun, former Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, this exhibition explores the depiction of the Black figure within portraiture – with a focus on themes such as Double Consciousness, Persistence of History, and Kinship and Connection.

Featuring works by 22 African diasporic artists, The Time is Always Now explores the richness and complexity of Black life, celebrating the flourishing moment of Black artists while acknowledging their place within an ever-evolving artistic lineage.

On view until 19 May 2024 at National Portrait Gallery.

Share story
Dates
22 February 2024 — 19 May 2024
Further information
WATCH MORE
The Wick Culture - Sarah-Jane Mee. Image courtesy of Getty Images.
Monday Muse

Interview: Sky News Presenter, Sarah-Jane Mee

The Wick Culture - Porthmeor Studio, 2024, in front of
Spotlight

Spotlight Charlotte Winifred Guérard

The Wick Culture - Beatriz Milhazes ‘Além do Horizonte’, White Cube Mason’s Yard 19 November 2025 – 17 January 2026 © Beatriz Milhazes. Photo © White Cube (Eva Herzog).
The Wick List

Viewing Beatriz Milhazes: Além do Horizonte

The Wick Culture - Ryan Gander, I've fallen foul of my desire, Camden Arts Projects, London, 2025. Photo © Deniz Guzel
The Wick List

Viewing Ryan Gander: I’ve Fallen Foul of My Desire

The Wick Culture - Karimah Ashadu,
The Wick List

Viewing Karimah Ashadu: Tendered

The Wick Culture - Genevieve Gaunt x Paul Smith. Photography by Charlie Pike.
Monday Muse

Interview: Actor & Interviewer Genevieve Gaunt