100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark

100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark seeks to redress the erasure of Black women from portraiture in the UK. Led by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, the project will centre around an exhibition featuring the portraits of 100 Black women with connections to Britain and Ireland, curated by Pawlet Brookes with artwork by visual artists: Valerie Asiimwe Amani, Yvadney Davis, Gayle Ebose, Grace Lee and Lauryn Pinard. The cover image, by Patricia Vester, encompasses the spirit of the project and everyone who has been a part of the journey. Collectively, the portraits celebrate Black women who have made a significant positive change across a diverse range of sectors including activism, arts, education, politics, science and technology. The portraits each bring a different aesthetic, encapsulating the tenacity, leadership and invisible power of Black womanhood. Sitting alongside the exhibition will be a series of podcasts, providing an opportunity for each woman (or those who knew her) to tell her story. The 100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark exhibition will run from 1 October 2024 – 4 January 2025 at Leicester Gallery with an exhibition catalogue of all the portraits available to purchase. The podcast series will be available on all major podcasting platforms. In due course, the portraits will be available to view as part of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage’s Living Archive, alongside a documentary film providing an insight into the creative process and heritage research.