Leeds Art Gallery is pleased to present 'Feeling Her Way' by Sonia Boyce OBE RA commissioned by the British Council for the 59th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, 2022 and awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation.
The installation combines video, collage, music and sculpture to present a body of work that centres around the vocal experimentation of five Black female musicians. Featuring Jacqui Dankworth MBE, Poppy Ajudha, Sofia Jernberg, Tanita Tikaram, and composer Errollyn Wallen, these intergenerational musicians were brought together by Boyce at Abbey Road Studios in London and Atlantis Studios in Stockholm to improvise, interact and play with their voices. Colour-tinted video works take centre stage among tessellating wallpapers, created by Boyce, and golden 3-D geometric structures, which immerse the audience in the work through their highly reflective surfaces.
The commission expands on Boyce's 'Devotional Collection', built up over 20 years and spanning more than three centuries, which honours the substantial contribution of Black British female musicians to public life and transnational culture.
With the support of the British Council, Art Fund and Henry Moore Foundation, the exhibition will run from 26 May - 5 November 2023.