Lou's October Review
My round up of the best things to enjoy in the Black art scape this month.
Happy October everyone - it’s a busy month in the art calendar. I’ll have two new audio projects to share with you this month, more on those soon.
Will I see you at Frieze or 1-54? Come and say hi if you see me.
Here’s your breakdown of things to enjoy this month. Note that I’ve also listed October events in previous reviews, glance over the Sept issue here.
In this issue you’ll find: Bisan Owda’s Emmy Legacy Russell in London Sammy Baloji at Goldsmiths CCA Annis Harrison, Chris Ofili & Siphiwe Mnguni at Cubitt Amy Sherald National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC Barbara Walker at Whitworth Glenn Ligon at Fitzwilliam Women in Art Fair The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s fellowship Brown Penny’s new Jazz LP Making a rukus! at Somerset House Tadesse Mesfin at Vigo Gallery White Nanny, Black Child on Netflix Marlon James on This Cultural Life Race/Related from the New York Times Sonia Boyce at Whitechapel Gallery Disabled, D/deaf and neurodiverse artists at Toward’s New World’s MIMA Frame of the Mind Podcast Gustavo Nazareno Orixás at Opera Gallery
This issue is too long to view as an email; tap the headline to read it in full in your browser or on the Substack app.
Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda has won an Emmy Award
This important acknowledgement of her astounding work is for the AJ+ documentary, It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive. Details here.
Legacy Russell in London
Congratulations to Shade guest Legacy Russell for her recent successful London leg of the Black Meme book tour. Read more about Black Meme here.
Michael Kibedi over on the First & Fifteenth Substack writes on his interests covering the latest academic and artistic research in human-computer interaction, conceptual art, Black studies, and data justice. He will publish a review of Black Meme on Oct 1st. Marvel over his other brilliant posts here.
Sammy Baloji, Goldsmiths CCA London, Oct 4 - Jan 12
Comprising two new commissions and recent works the exhibition presents Baloji’s artistic research on climate, tropical architecture, Belgian Art Nouveau, and extraction from the Democratic Republic of Congo. More here.
Annis Harrison with guest exhibitors Chris Ofili & Siphiwe Mnguni at Cubitt Gallery, London - ended
Although this group exhibition ended yesterday, it’s a nice collaboration worth sharing. Participating artists invited guests to exhibit alongside them, with Harrison choosing Chris Ofili & Siphiwe Mnguni.
Ofili displayed a series of paintings made in 1996, when he and the artist Silke Otto Knapp both held studios at Cubitt. Knapp had discarded her painted canvases in the car park skip, later to be retrieved by Ofili who with her permission, painted onto them. Learn more about Cubitt here.
Glenn Ligon All Over The Place Fitzwilliam, Cambridge until March 2
All Over The Place presents a series of site-specific interventions curated by the artist throughout the Museum aimed at peeling back the layers of history and meaning to reveal a new perspective on their collection. Details here.
Amy Sherald National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC. Sept 19 2025
With over 40 paintings, Sherald’s largest survey to date next year will mark the first solo show of a Black contemporary artist at the DC institution.
Barbara Walker: Being Here at Whitworth, Manchester Oct 4 - Jan 26
Walker’s first major survey exhibition Being Here will bring together over 70 works spanning her career from the 1990s to today, including her Turner Prize nominated portrait series Burden of Proof (2022-23). More here.
Women in Art Fair, London Oct 9-12
The fair runs annually during Frieze London in October, at the Mall Galleries next to the ICA. Created to address the gender imbalance in the industry. Details here.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s fellowship program (SAAM)
It’s the oldest and largest fellowship program in American art. Scholars from any discipline who are researching topics relating to US art, craft, and visual culture are encouraged to apply. Deadline Oct 15th. What an opportunity. For my U.S subs, the details are here.
Making a rukus! Black Queer Histories through Love and Resistance. Somerset House, London Oct 11 - Jan 19.
Curated by artist, filmmaker and co-founder of rukus! Federation, Topher Campbell, Making a rukas! explores Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans creativity, activism, community and pride. Details here.
Brown Penny
Enjoy this new six track jazz LP from Shade guest Tyrone Isaac Stuart
Tadesse Mesfin Where We Coalesce. Vigo Gallery, London until Oct 4.
Mesfin celebrates the women vendors who work in markets across Ethiopia in this exhibition shown in collaboration with Addis Fine Art. More here.
White Nanny, Black Child. Netflix
A group of adults find solace in sharing their experiences of growing up as children of Black Nigerian immigrants who were fostered by white British families. I was apprehensive about watching this, worried that it wouldn’t do the issue and the stories justice. I still don’t know if it did and there were moments that I think could have been handled more sensitively, but overall, these stories need honouring and it’s a worthwhile watch. Details here.
Marlon James on This Cultural Life
Gorgeous conversation on the writer’s life and cultural inspirations. I could listen to every story James has to tell - listen here.
Race/Related, the New York Times newsletter
Worth dipping into from time to time - the free New York Times’ weekly newsletter focused on race, identity and culture. Yes there are issues with the NYT, but I find this section worth the time.
Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation at Whitechapel Gallery Oct 2 - Jan 12
An Awkward Relation has been especially conceived to be in dialogue with the exhibition of Brazilian artist Lygia Clark, The I and the You showing at the Gallery concurrently. More here.
Toward’s New World’s at MIMA, Middlesborough until Feb 9
Towards New Worlds is a large-scale exhibition sharing fifteen artists’ experiences of seeing, hearing, feeling and sensing the contemporary world. Each of the artists involved is disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodiverse and features our September spotlighted artist, Christopher Samuel. Details here.
Healing Through Colour —Frame of Mind Podcast, The Met
This was a moving listen. Artist and poet Annie Lanzillotto rests on a museum bench, taking in the vivid colors of a stained glass window. It was a moment of peace that helped her make sense of her family and life. More here.
Gustavo Nazareno Orixás: Personal Tales on Portraiture at Opera Gallery Oct 8 - Nov 9
Nazareno’s work draws profound inspiration from Afro-Latin religions, particularly the Brazilian Candomblé religion and its pantheon of deities known as Orixás. Details here.
…finally, how smooth is Jasmine sharing her list of Black art resources for collectors. Happy to be included and pick up some tips….
Thanks for being here. Until next time! x Lou.