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Viewing BLACK VENUS

The Wick Culture - Amber Pinkerton Photo Booth, Sabah, Girls Next Door, 2020, © Courtesy the Artist and ALICE BLACK.
Above  Amber Pinkerton Photo Booth, Sabah, Girls Next Door, 2020, © Courtesy the Artist and ALICE BLACK.
The Wick Culture - Ayana V. Jackson, Anarcha, 2017 © Courtesy of the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim.
Above  Ayana V. Jackson, Anarcha, 2017 © Courtesy of the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim.
The Wick Culture - Carla Williams, Venus, 1992-1994 © Courtesy of the artist.
Above  Carla Williams, Venus, 1992-1994 © Courtesy of the artist.
The Wick Culture - Delphine Diallo, Highness Blue (Hybrid 1), 2011 © Courtesy of MTArt and the artist.
Above  Delphine Diallo, Highness Blue (Hybrid 1), 2011 © Courtesy of MTArt and the artist.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Instant Model, 1976 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Instant Model, 1976 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Me as Marilyn, 1991 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Me as Marilyn, 1991 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
The Wick Culture - Widline Cadet, On a Clear Day, I Thought I Saw Forever, 2020 © Courtesy of the artist.
Above  Widline Cadet, On a Clear Day, I Thought I Saw Forever, 2020 © Courtesy of the artist.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Grace on Motor Cycle, 1978 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Grace on Motor Cycle, 1978 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
The Wick Culture - Amber Pinkerton Photo Booth, Sabah, Girls Next Door, 2020, © Courtesy the Artist and ALICE BLACK.
Above  Amber Pinkerton Photo Booth, Sabah, Girls Next Door, 2020, © Courtesy the Artist and ALICE BLACK.
The Wick Culture - Ayana V. Jackson, Anarcha, 2017 © Courtesy of the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim.
Above  Ayana V. Jackson, Anarcha, 2017 © Courtesy of the Artist and Mariane Ibrahim.
The Wick Culture - Carla Williams, Venus, 1992-1994 © Courtesy of the artist.
Above  Carla Williams, Venus, 1992-1994 © Courtesy of the artist.
The Wick Culture - Delphine Diallo, Highness Blue (Hybrid 1), 2011 © Courtesy of MTArt and the artist.
Above  Delphine Diallo, Highness Blue (Hybrid 1), 2011 © Courtesy of MTArt and the artist.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Instant Model, 1976 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Instant Model, 1976 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Me as Marilyn, 1991 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Me as Marilyn, 1991 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
The Wick Culture - Widline Cadet, On a Clear Day, I Thought I Saw Forever, 2020 © Courtesy of the artist.
Above  Widline Cadet, On a Clear Day, I Thought I Saw Forever, 2020 © Courtesy of the artist.
The Wick Culture - Ming Smith, Grace on Motor Cycle, 1978 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Above  Ming Smith, Grace on Motor Cycle, 1978 © Courtesy of the artist and Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, London.
All eyes are on Somerset House to witness a legacy in the making with the opening of the hotly anticipated exhibition BLACK VENUS. Curated by curator, historian, and previous Monday Muse, Aindrea Emelife, BLACK VENUS includes works from over 20 women and non-binary artists who delve into the topics of othering and fetishism as they reclaim the narrative around Black femininity.
 
Tracking how Black womanhood has shifted in the public consciousness, the exhibition pairs contemporary artworks and images with selected archival work dated between 1793 and 1930. Sat next to each other, the works confront political and socio-economic understanding in different stages of history. While exploring this complex narrative of Black womanhood, the exhibition is anchored by three thematic pillars representing perceived paradigms: the Hottentot Venus, the Stable Venus and the Jezebel. Each pillar takes on a canon story of Black women in visual culture while examining the shift in these archetypes over time. Through the lens of Sonia Boyce, Carrie Mae Weems, Ming Smith, Zanele Muholi and Ayana V Jackson, be a part of reshaping a more inclusive history. 
 
BLACK VENUS debuted in 2022 at New York’s Fotografiska before its residency at San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, and now at Somerset House features a new reworking of the themes, 19 new world and 6 UK-based artists in the lineup.
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Dates
20 July 2023 — 24 September 2023
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The Wick Culture - Emilija Škarnulytė, Hypoxia, 2023 (detail), For All At Last Return, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead. Photo: Colin Davison © 2025 Baltic
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Viewing For All At Last Return

The Wick Culture - Wayne Thiebaud. Boston Cremes (1962) © Wayne Thiebaud. Courtesy of Crocker Art Museum
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Viewing Wayne Thiebaud: American Still Life

The Wick Culture - Nan Goldin. Mark in the red car, Lexington, Mass. (1979) from “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency,” © Nan Goldin. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian
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Viewing Richard Avedon: Facing West & Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency