"Their art is a dialogue, an African call and response."
Betye Saar and James Barnor: On being in communion with our elders.
Shade Art Review
Contemporary art criticism. Spotlighting Black artists and social impact by Lou Mensah.
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
A Secret Truth
My contribution to Courttia Newland's new book, The Art of Opposition.
Shade Art Review is going free
I'm removing paid tiers!
The Plate We Were Given
Venice 2026 and the art we consume without question
Rerouting the gaze, unspringing the trap: The free and slippery bodies in South Asian photography
Guest essay by Eleanor Sanghara Güstard
Joy Gregory: Face, Camera, Process
At Whitechapel Gallery 'Catching Flies with Honey' goes beyond portraiture's expectations
A Body Sheds
Bodies in flux inspired by Ashley Nkechi Igwe's text for Read My World festival, and my final podcast of 2025 on art and accessibility.
Desperately Seeking Residencies
Accessible spaces for photography practice. Do they exist?
Lanre Bakare's 'We Were There' is an essential chronicle of Black culture and resistance beyond London
But from North to South of the country, our lives were entwined and some voices fell through the cracks
The Art of Spike Lee's film 'Highest 2 Lowest'
The director's personal collection is the main character