Simone Leigh, Loophole of Retreat (2019). Image courtesy: Guggenheim Museum a photography of a sculpture by Simone Leigh of an elongated, figurative depiction of a Black woman Simone Leigh, Sentinel IV (2020). Image courtesy: The artist, Hauser & Wirth Inspired by Black intellectuals, Leigh’s work contributes to the evolution of what she describes as an ‘incomplete archive of Black feminist thought’, situating Black women into the production, representation, and contemporary context of the global art world. Leigh’s work is centred around figurative representations of Black women, accentuating the beauty of their form, using a variety of materials including ceramics, glass, mixed media, and metal, whilst employing traditional techniques and materials that arose in West Africa. Her sculptures are redolent of work from the African diaspora, whilst challenging negative discourses surrounding race, gender and identity. Alongside Leigh, the Venice Biennale has opened its doors to a broad range of female artists, creating a haven for a cross-cultural artistic realm of feminist ideologies, challenging the industry’s tendency to be orientated around patriarchal manifestations of creative productions.

Source: labiennale