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Free exhibition
Curated by Bindi Vora
Contemplating class, cultural identity and belonging through the photographic portrait
This exhibition is in currently in development at Autograph
Autograph
Rivington Place
London EC2A 3BA, UK
Since the 1990s, Eileen Perrier has used photographic portraiture to forge connections between people, acknowledging the profound value of being seen.
Often using makeshift studios, she brings her sitters together around shared experiences of kinship, interests or place. Her work has evolved into a form of social engagement that powerfully visualises individuality – encouraging us to look beyond social and cultural divides.
Perrier uses the tropes of 19th century European and contemporary African studio portraiture to contemplate how class, cultural identity and belonging are represented through the photographic portrait. Born and raised in London, the artist frequently encountered questions about her heritage, finding herself caught between her upbringing and her dual Ghanaian and Dominican diasporic heritage. This sense of ambiguity is central to Perrier's work, examining how identity can be shaped by both geographical and cultural contexts.
Creating inclusive environments in her practice as both an artist and senior lecturer in photography, Perrier has influenced generations of photographers. A Thousand Small Stories is the first retrospective of the artist's work, bringing together three decades of photographs.
The exhibition opens with When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years?, her recent series addressing the realities teenage girls face while grappling with social media, body image and misogyny. Perrier’s interest in the elusive politics of beauty is also reflected in her iconic portraits from the late 1990s and early 2000s, Afro Hair and Beauty Show, highlighting the significance of hair and hairstyles as symbols of cultural pride and resistance.
Perrier works with and within communities: this spirit of collaboration extends to her own family in Red, Gold and Green (1997). In this series, she worked closely with three generations of British Ghanaians and relatives from her extended family to create portraits in their London homes. Using vivid fabric to create a temporary studio, these images are an important lesson in improvisation and draw on the long tradition of African studio portraiture.
These are shown alongside portrait projects spanning Perrier’s career, from gentle explorations of kinship and memory in Ghana, to a lively community beauty salon in Brixton.
A Thousand Small Stories forms part of Autograph’s continued commitment to curate and preserve the legacy of important black women practitioners such as Perrier, and to ensure that their significant contributions to the canon of photography are recognised.
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From the series Red, Gold and Green, 1997
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From the series Afro Hair and Beauty Show, 1998
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From the series Grace, 2000
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From the series Red, Gold and Green, 1997
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From the series Ghana, 1995-96
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From the series When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years?, 2023
Eileen Perrier (born 1974, London, UK) is an artist with dual Ghanaian and Dominican diasporic heritage, specialising in portraiture. Since the 1990s, she has been a photographer both in the UK and internationally and senior lecturer of photography in the UK.
Her work has been widely exhibited, including The Photographers' Gallery (UK); Tate Britain (UK); The Whitechapel Gallery (UK); Hayward Gallery (UK); and The Centre Pompidou (France). Perrier was an artist in residence at Light Work x Autograph (USA) and Kunsthalle Schirn (Germany). Her works are represented in private and public collections, including Arts Council England (UK); Autograph (UK); Foundling Museum (UK); Light Work (USA); Sindika Dokolo Foundation (Angola); Tate (UK); and Wedge Collection (Canada).
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Supported using public funding by Arts Council England and by Cockayne Grants for the Arts, a Donor Advised Fund, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.
Banner image: Eileen Perrier, from the series Ghana [detail], 1995-96. © and courtesy the artist.
Exhibition preview images: All by Eileen Perrier, © and courtesy the artist. 1 and 5) Eileen Perrier, from the series Red, Gold and Green, 1997. Commissioned by Autograph, London. 2) Eileen Perrier, from the series Grace, 2000. 3) Eileen Perrier, from the series Ghana, 1995-1996. 4) Eileen Perrier, from the series Afro Hair and Beauty Show, 1998. 6) Eileen Perrier, The Face Magazine Commission, Winter 2023. Commissioned by The Face Magazine.
Images on page: 1) Courtesy Eileen Perrier. 2) Autograph, London. Photograph by Kate Elliott.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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