Drawing from Nigerian scholar Obioma Nnaemeka’s theory of nego-feminism, a strand of African feminism also known as ‘negotiation feminism’, Regarding Ourselves brings together female artists of African heritage whose work explores how black women unceasingly negotiate racism and sexism within the public and private space, their representation and the societal roles that have been allocated to them. The selection of works celebrates the power and heterogeneity of their subjects, overthrowing the single story about black women, and challenging the misconceptions and stereotypes that others have succeeded in converting into legitimated narratives. One way or another, the chosen artists have used black female forms to resist these narratives, claiming their own stories and re-creating their own ‘truths’.

The intentional title of the exhibition alludes to the polysemic meaning of the verb ‘regard’: on one hand, it manifests concern and preoccupation for the object being observed; on the other, it refers to the very act of ‘looking upon’ - that is with respect and admiration for the object under the gaze. Having in common the use of photography and video as a medium, as well as concerns about the representation of black women, the artworks included in the show are mindful reactions to the politicised body of women of African descent.