‘Blackground’ – an exhibition by Sharon James 10-18 October

‘Blackground’  is an exploration of legacy what is passed down, carried, and reimagined. Rooted in histories of slavery, ancestry, and identity, the work asks how we hold both pain and resilience in our bodies and our stories. As a mother, creating ‘Blackground’ is an act of honouring the past while shaping what my children inherit: a language of truth, strength, and belonging.

 Sharon James is an artist and printmaker based in Swanage, Dorset, working across oil painting, drawing, and printmaking. Her practice explores personal and collective histories, with a focus on motherhood, heritage, and the Black British experience. She is particularly interested in how identity and ancestry shape our stories and how those narratives evolve across generations.

Her  work has been predominantly figurative, often rooted in portraiture and storytelling. However, she also produces abstract pieces almost as an antidote to the rigorous nature of representational painting. These works provide a space for intuitive mark-making and emotional release, allowing a different kind of freedom within her practice.

Her recent solo exhibitions #Artistmother, The Art of Motherhood, and A Mother’s Legacy have delved into the intersections of family, culture, and creativity. She uses layered, symbolic imagery to create compositions that invite viewers to reflect on their own connections to family and place.

Private view and artist talk Sunday 12 October 5pm . Free. All welcome.