Claudette Johnson: Pioneering Black British Portraiture

Claudette Johnson is one of the founding members of the Black British Arts Movement formed in the 1980’s, and is best known for her large scale portraits of Black people. Claudette’s work challenges traditional ideas of Black masculinity and femininity, and as she puts it ‘to tell a different story about the Black British presence’.

After an almost two decade-long hiatus from the art world - she’s making her big comeback at the Courtauld - where she is now the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition in the gallery’s ninety-one year history.