Kimathi Donkor : Queens of the Undead

13 Sep-24 Nov 2012

Overview

Kimathi Donkor’s dramatic large-scale paintings express pathos, wrath, devotion and irony. From 13 September to 24 November 2012, Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts) at Rivington Place presents a series of new commissions by the artist celebrating heroic black women from history, alongside selected earlier works. ‘These paintings resurrect the undead glory of charismatic black women who each helped define the modern world, and are revered as amazing armed heroines in their homelands – a lot like Joan of Arc. Of course, I enjoy quoting imagery from their own times, but I also want to reflect the turbulent power such bold figures still exert on our contemporary imagination.’ - Kimathi Donkor