Carrie Mae Weems: Reflections for Now

Carrie Mae Weems has said of her landmark Kitchen Table Series (1990) that she hoped it would not only be a voice for African-American women but would be a voice, more generally, for all women. The Barbican Centre in London presents the first major survey of her work in the United Kingdom (22 June–3 September), which includes both the Kitchen Table Series and From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried (1995–96), in which Weems uses 19th- and 20th-century photographs of African and African-American people to highlight how the media has buttressed systemic racism, particularly in the United States. Also on display is her most recent film installation, The Shape of Things (2021), which takes aim at what the artist describes as the ‘pageantry’ of contemporary American politics. Find out more on the Barbican’s website.

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Untitled (Mother and Daughter with Make Up) from Kitchen Table Series (1990), Carrie Mae Weems. Courtesy the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York/Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin; © Carrie Mae Weems

The Edge of Time – Ancient Rome from Roaming (2006), Carrie Mae Weems. Courtesy the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York/Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin; © Carrie Mae Weems

It’s Over – A Diorama (2021), Carrie Mae Weems. Courtesy the artist, Jack Shainman Gallery, New York/Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin; photo: Stephanie Berger