A Camden artist launched a new exhibition last Saturday to welcome Black History Month’s arrival in London.
Matt Lloyd Small, 51, who was born and grew up in Camden, was commissioned by the council to produce a collection of works that spotlighted the region’s black community.
The exhibition, titled Seeing The Potential, will be held at Swiss Cottage Gallery and is running until December 12, with a private viewing held from 6-8 PM on October 7th.
Small said: “Seeing that potential means you see the human, you see the worth. Even though they’re made out of bits of metal, there’s a warmth there and there’s a character.
“I want to make sure everyone, every child, has got equal opportunities to reach levels which enable them to feel they’re invested in, and they’re a part of society’s mission agenda.”
Small focuses the exhibition on changing negative perceptions of black youth in Britain, a group he said was “demonised”, whilst
also trying to bring light to underrepresented voices and stories.
The artist said his inspirations, particularly the young black men, reminded him of himself.
He added there was a long legacy of neglect surrounding the black population in Camden which he believed has survived from the 1980s into today.
He said: “It’s always been to represent the area and the people around me, and to champion their world.
“Not in an overly political way, but to say, look, the people and the places that I see around me are just as valid as anywhere else.”
The exhibition is already receiving upward of 20 visitors a day, according to security lead Graham Cousins.
Cousins said: “It’s stunning. I don’t know how people can take something out of nothing and make something.
“People, adults, children and teenagers come and they are fascinated.”
This year marks the council’s fifth Black History Season, with the theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ chosen to spotlight
meaningful contributions from Camden’s black population.
Camden Council said they hope this and other events will “shine a spotlight on the activists, changemakers, leaders and communities who have contributed to changing the narrative past present and future.”
It is something Small said he has really tried to capture in his work.
“Art should always invoke a feeling or a conversation within yourself rather than around you about how you see the world,” he said.
“As an artist, your position is to provide a unique view of the world that you see around you. That’s what we can do.
The artist has also tried to practice this message in his personal life, getting involved with local community projects and philanthropic works in London, including riding a bike from London to Brighton in September to raise money for Leukaemia.
Camden Council got in touch with Small in September, in preparation for their Black History Month celebrations.
The artist was selected after creating a Windrush mural displayed at Talacre Sports Community Centre.
The artwork, created for Windrush Day this year, is called Camden Blossoms and marked 78 years of the black contributions to the council.
This included political activist Claudia Jones, British DJ and music producer Jazzie B and Jerry Williams, Camden’s first black mayor.
“I’ve got that relationship with Camden now. I’ve worked on something that is all about the
contributions of black people,” Small said.
“So they wanted to now have me produce or put on a show that was a further statement about people and community.”
Small will be attending the private viewing to talk about his work more in person this week.
Featured image provided by Matt Small at the Seeing The Potential exhibition in Camden.
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