International Black Heritage Month: highlights from the alumni community
- Written byEleanor Harvey
- Published date 18 June 2024
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For International Black Heritage Month 2024, we’re highlighting the profiles and achievements of creatives from within the UAL graduate community.
Taking place throughout June, International Black Heritage Month celebrates the strength, diversity, richness and unique experiences of black heritage around the world. By gathering and curating content from around the world, International Black Heritage Month aims to broaden the existing narratives and highlight the diversity of people with black heritage.
The month is about the power of communication and storytelling; and how important it is to be educated to bring about the change needed for diversity, inclusion and positive impact.
Featured profiles and stories:
The Time is Always Now: 7 UAL alumni included in the National Portrait Gallery’s major exhibition
Seven of the artists included in the National Portrait Gallery’s recent current major exhibition The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, were University of the Arts London alumni. The exhibition explored the depiction of the Black form within portraiture.
Chelsea graduate Chris Ofili’s Grenfell mural opens at Tate Britain
A major new site-specific work by Chelsea College of Arts, UAL graduate Chris Ofili was unveiled at Tate Britain in 2023. Requiem pays tribute to fellow artist Khadija Saye and remembers the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire. Spanning 3 walls, the work is a reflection on loss, spirituality and transformation.
Meet: Tobi Alexandra Falade
Tobi Alexandra Falade moved from Nigeria to England aged 7. In her large-scale oil paintings, she explores the narratives of being a Nigerian-British woman. Tobi graduated from Wimbledon College of Arts, UAL with a BA (Hons) Fine Art in 2019.
She is also the co-founder of Platform Black, a creative community which "highlights the work of black creatives and connects with communities of professionals and resources, to transform institutions”.
Meet David Kamara, creative entrepreneur
When we met David Kamara at an alumni networking event, we were so impressed by his strength and dedication to both his work and his everyday life that we wanted to know more. In 2019, he graduated from Chelsea College of Arts with a BA Fine Art. Since then, he’s launched House of Fire Studios, a multimedia production house; and educational platform The Sowing Grounds, all whilst battling chronic illness.
Meet the LCC graduate sharing £56M+ in funding opportunities within the creative industries
London College of Communication graduate Solomon Oyemade set up Curated Funding, an online library that helps creatives to access hard-to-find funding opportunities.
Meet: Tumi Siwoku
Tumi Siwoku graduated from BSc (Hons) Cosmetic Science, London College of Fashion, UAL in 2011. Having spent the years since she graduated working for several big cosmetics brands in a wide variety of roles, in 2021 Tumi took the plunge and set up her own research and development laboratory, Beauty Science Labs. As Creative Director it’s a chance for her to combine her creativity and entrepreneurial skills. Her goal? To make the market more accessible to indie brands.
Meet: David Barnett
Artist David Barnett explores the human condition in his photographs. A graduate from Chelsea College of Arts, his ongoing project Written on Skin/Skin places people of different skin types, sexualities and genders at the centre of his work to search the human condition.
2021
Meet: Samuel Ade
Central Saint Martins graduate Samuel Ade founded Ilana, a store for Black-owned fashion brands and a platform for fashion designers to gain expertise, connect and collaborate. “Ilana means pathway in Yoruba, and that‘s exactly what we exist to do”, says Samuel, “creating a pathway for emerging talent".
Find out more about the global work that International Black Heritage Month does: internationalblackheritagemonth.com
