Angela Davis #2 by Iris Kensmil
Angela Davis #2 by Iris Kensmil Portrait of Angela Davis by Iris Kensmil Photo: Peter Cox
"I deliberately use a European way of painting with light touches. This provides a certain presence to those I portray and with which I want to respectfully emphasise their importance." - Iris Kensmil
Emancipation movement
Iris Kensmil portrays individuals who play an important role in the black emancipation movement. This painting shows Angela Davis, an American philosopher, activist and author. Davis is fundamental to the African-American civil rights movement and feminism in the United States.
Hairdo
Striking about this work is the activist's impressive hair; it takes up more than half of the canvas. The hairdo shows similarities to a halo and the way saints are depicted.
See and feel
In the collection display Delinking and Relinking, you will see other artworks by this Dutch artist with Surinamese roots. All of them depict people of colour, such as Octavia Butler and Marcus Garvey. The exhibition also presents tactile replicas of these works: embossed copies that allow blind and visually impaired visitors to 'see' these paintings by touching.
