Project Rally: How Personal Histories Build Global Communities

On the 20th of September in Camden, Central London, Sam, the curator of Society.Exclusive, called all the artists to the main floor for a quick huddle before the event began. He warned them to be careful; the stark white walls of the Fitzrovia location were not primed for the explosion of colour on canvas that awaited. The floor, however, was fine. Many of the artists had chosen to arrange newspapers around their station ahead of Sam’s warning. Others had boldly chosen to go without. He addressed the circle of artistic talent, some new to the game and others seasoned, encouraging them to enjoy the evening. They laughed, hugged and clapped together, and it was hard to tell who had known each other

forever and who had just met that day. In essence, that was what Project Rally was about.

To rally is a phrase of extensive meaning. Simultaneously meaning an assembly for a cause or political protest and a cause to recover in health, Project Rally’s open definition was a source of inspiration for its artists, each bringing their own unique perspective to the prompt. Inspired by the internationalism of World Population Day in July, Sam and his team wanted to create something that brought people together despite the fractured state of society. They had gathered eighteen artists that day: Olivia Martha, Affoué Aurélie N’gotta, Aoife Wong, Dondy Samudera, Eleanor Ashby, Faseeha Khalid, Gabriel Doe, Hannah Yagmur Gürsoy, Ingrid Uko Eninn, Izak Harnden, Jada Coburn, Jasper Binns, Joe Sookias, Leon Ruggieri, Natalie Yasmineh, Nicola May, Pear (Pearasco) and Prince Oke. Society.Exclusive had given the artists free rein to choose a political, environmental or social topic that resonated with them deeply, with all the proceeds going to UK Youth Charity. From there, they were able to answer the call to rally as they pleased. For four of these artists, each of them black women, this call to rally is deeply intimate, encouraging them to build bridges between themselves and the cultural issues that affect them the most.

It was daunting, at first, to tap someone on the shoulder as they made their first brushstrokes, immersed in their task. Art has always been a personal practice. Creative minds pouring out their souls onto canvas or paper. It is easy to imagine the private enclaves that artists retreat into to begin their creative processes. Project Rally manufactured a different way to create. Surrounded by others with the same mission, each artist was able to draw on the shared passion in the room. Although each piece was different in their approach and style, there was a sense of continuity in how the artists I spoke to incorporated their personal histories to contribute to the exhibition’s international calling.

Ingrid

Ingrid’s work was one that was reflective of her own natural hybridity as both a newly qualified pharmacist and an artist. She displayed equal amounts of enthusiasm for both, recounting the hours she had spent during her training to fit in both her studies and her artistic practice. Similarly, Olivia had also recently graduated from Camberwell UAL with a BA in Painting after having earned a law degree. Existing in a space of duality is natural for both artists, which they reflect in their work. For Olivia, the logical and the abstract meet in the space of the philosophical, creating a visual language that she translates through her piece. Having lived in several countries growing up and being of Dutch and Curaçaoan descent, Olivia’s work, as she described it, is “an abstract commentary on the conversations happening in London from a personal perspective”.

From a broader perspective to one much more intimate, Ingrid’s use of personal experience is tied to the duality of her cultural heritage as both Nigerian-Brazilian and Black British, as well as her professional hybridity. In her journey of discovering the intricacies of each part of her heritage, Ingrid found eschatological links between the religion Candomble from Brazil and her time working in the NHS. The casual nature of how many doctors regarded death jarred Ingrid, considering the spirituality she had found in Candomble and religion as a whole. Exploring this in her practice became an imperative. Her work for Project Rally continued in this commentary, depicting doctors performing surgery with a scale weighing a heart and a feather in the background, referencing ancient Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife. The piece evokes thought about Black Britain’s own relationship with the NHS. For many, the NHS is a symbol that beckons and ostracises the Black Britons through practices that discriminate against cultural presentations and beliefs.

The Black British experience is one that resonates with London-based fine artist Jada Coburn dearly. Seated beside Ingrid, her canvas’ deep purple underpainting complements Ingrid’s deep blue. Centralising her experience of being displaced from her Walthamstow home as a result of gentrification, Jada painted a self-portrait depicting her emotional response. “What I really wanted to channel today was that feeling of feeling disconnected,” she told me, “I've never felt connected to a place since leaving Walthamstow”. Jada’s work usually depicts deeply expressive subjects, often herself, that convey a sense of open vulnerability. Using vibrant colours, she captures moments of uncertainty, joy and, in her piece for Project Rally, disconnection.

Like Jada, portrait artist Affoué is gifted at capturing the intricacies of her subjects. While acknowledging how her portraiture is a representation of her own perspective of her sitters, Affoué’s work during the exhibition reached inwards. “I'm actually really interested in other people's self-portraits because it was like, what do they want to highlight about themselves at that moment?” As a sociology graduate, Affoué’s awareness of herself, her history and her place in society shapes her artistic point of view. For her, the historically elitist nature of portraiture is a constant awareness in her practice. Painting herself, as Affoué expresses, is an inherently political act.

People circled the room, speaking to the artists and admiring the progress of each piece as the night wore on. Artists connected with each other, exchanging Instagram handles and compliments. Family members and strangers bonded over the intrigue of such an interactive, creative moment. Art is always political. Even when that intention is not present, the work and the artist do not exist in a vacuum. Instead, it is influenced by the moment in society that it is created within. The artists of Project Rally knew that and were conscious of it as they created their pieces that day. I think Sam’s vision came true. The call to rally was answered.