Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers

Stepping into the show immediately drew out all the memories of a film I watched years ago, 12 years of slave - about a free black man sold into slavery, and the heartbreaking story that follows.

The work of 34 Black artists from the American south is profound, the least to say - not with the choice of materials (sculpture and paintings made out of trash, rusted metals, dirt), but the thought of how and where these were made, against the beautiful white walls at the Royal Academy.

For generations, Black artists from the American South have forged a unique art tradition. Working in near isolation from established practices, they have created masterpieces that articulate America’s painful past – the inhuman practice of enslavement, the cruel segregationist policies of the Jim Crow era, and institutionalised racism.

Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers

Drawing its title from the work of Langston Hughes, Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers brings together sculpture, paintings, reliefs, drawings, and quilts, most of which will be seen in the UK and Europe for the first time. It will also feature the celebrated quiltmakers of Gee’s Bend, Alabama and the neighbouring communities of Rehoboth and Alberta.

Made from the materials available locally – like clay, driftwood, roots, soil, recycled and cast-off objects – the 64 works range from the mid 20th century to today. Many respond to issues that are global in nature: from economic inequality, oppression and social marginalisation, to sexuality, the influence of place and ancestral memory.

Show now opens at Royal Academy until 18 June 2023 - more info here