Seeing Ourselves: Sharon Walters in conversation with... Ekow Eshun

Ekow Eshun

Ekow Eshun is Chairman of the Fourth Plinth, overseeing the foremost public art programme in the UK, and the former Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.

He is the curator of exhibitions including, most recently, In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery, London, awarded the  Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prize for Exhibitions 2023, and author of books including Black Gold of the Sun, shortlisted for the Orwell prize.

Described by The Guardian as a ‘cultural polymath’, he is the writer and presenter of documentaries including the BBC film Dark Matter: A History of the Afrofuture, the Tate Modern film series, Exploring the Black Atlantic, and the BBC Radio 4 series White Mischief. He has contributed to books on artists including Mark Bradford, Kehinde Wiley, Chris Ofili, John Akomfrah and Wangechi Mutu and his writing has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian and The Observer. He holds an honorary doctorate from London Metropolitan University. 

Sharon Walters

Sharon Walters is a London-based artist with a fine art degree from Central St Martins. Her current series entitled, 'Seeing Ourselves' is a multi-disciplinary project celebrating Black women, their histories and futures. The work encompasses papercuts, collage works, mixed media works and events in collaboration with various organisations.

The intention of her practice is to empower those who are marginalised to take up space, create our own spaces and develop opportunities to be seen, heard and instigate change.