Last week we were invited to the #InBloom exhibition in Shoreditch to peruse art, listen to spoken word and drink wine, thanks to the beautiful Erin O'Garro.
The walls were covered with Erin's unique and breathtaking portraits of black women and men, accompanied by words depicting the Black British experience. The floor was covered in an array of spring flowers and the room filled with voices sharing stories and celebrating Erin and her success. And why not? Her work is stunning and it's comment on society is deep and thought-provoking.
We had to know more about the women behind the exhibition, so we spoke to Erin about art, blackness and the future.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Black Ballad: Tell us a little bit about your artwork – what textiles do you work with? How did you develop your style?
Erin O'Garro: I'm one of those artists that loves it all, and so very often fall in to the trap of trying to do it all, though I know my heart lies with portraiture and examining people. I work with acrylic paint and draw in graphite and I make all my pieces more than just a beautiful face staring blankly. I love print, so I often relish at the chance to incorporate print into my work. For me, my work should be a fun experience, skilled and detailed but fun.
BB: What influences and inspires you most?
EO: The juxtaposition of living as a black person in Britain conjures up so much inspiration for me. I have had the most amazing conversations with people that may never get to voice their experiences to a major audience, so I create the audience. I draw, and they write. I'm inspired by their words, their feelings, their pain. Artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Kehinde Wiley, Jamal Shabbaz, Chris Ofili, Yinka Shonibare have come before me and illustrated that culture and identity runs rife as an ever fuelling topic of art. I think art has always had the licence to be the running commentary of society's issues, so I intend to comment.