This ain’t a vanity ting. Its a legacy ting.
The highly anticipated Portrait of Black Britain returned to Manchester on October 1st at Aviva Studios. Originally commissioned in 2021, the exhibition featured 116 photographs of Black British people and was displayed in Manchester Arndale before travelling south to Bluewater. The collection has now expanded to over 200 portraits of Black British people from all walks of life.
On stage at the launch event, artist Cephas Williams talked about his process and impetus for making the work. In mainstream culture, he argued, black people are portrayed as ‘the best of us, or the worst of us’; rappers and footballers or criminals, with no in between. This collection seeks to challenge that, showing audiences a multiplicity of black experience: people’s names are listed on their photos, alongside their job title and ethnicity.
Williams is a natural speaker; he oozed easy confidence, charisma and charm whilst also insisting that this piece of work was not about him or his ego. “This ain’t a vanity ting. It’s a legacy ting,” he said, drawing attention away from himself as an artist and towards the work and the positive impact it has for participants and audiences alike.
The genesis of this project began after George Floyd was brutally murdered by police in 2020, the day before Williams’ son was due to be born. This contrast- the death of a black man, the birth of a black boy- galvanised Williams to write ‘letter to Zion’, a heartfelt letter to his son which is also displayed as part of the collection. The letter is bittersweet and achingly hopeful; he writes that by the time his son is 20, he hopes that racism is a think of the past. Its clear that this is not a passive hope: Williams is being the change he wants to see in the world, advocating for himself and others and actively pushing for a better future with exhibitions like this one.
The portraits themselves are masterful. Every model stares out with an unflinching seriousness, yet each has their individuality captured by the camera. They are deeply evocative and stirring. The curation of the space is fantastic too- portraits are side by side in a central location, but also staring thoughtfully from large canvases overhead, or segmented onto pillars. Its an exhibition that demands attention rather than asking for it.
Despite Williams’ desire to capture the breadth of the black British experience, artists and business owners are somewhat overrepresented; but there are paralegal, nurses, dance teachers and students sprinkled throughout. Not everyone will see themselves in these photos, but the collection on its own is already a powerful conversation starter about the narrowness of representation of black people in this country. A quote from a participant details a group of white school children seeing the exhibition and wondering: had these people died? Or were they famous? They couldn’t conceive of ordinary, living black faces being celebrated and occupying this space in public. This attests to the importance and success of this work.
Portrait of Black Britain runs at Factory International, Manchester until 1st November. Tickets here.