Blog
Hoda Afshar: Rebel with a Cause
On International Women’s Day 2024, Iran-born photographer Hoda Afshar debuted her latest series, In Turn (2023), at the South London Gallery as part of the exhibition Acts of Resistance: Photography, Feminisms and the Art of Protest, organised in collaboration with the V&A.
London-based journalist Lucy Rowan spoke to two Iranian women living in the West to explore how art can serve as a form of resistance. She focused on its significance within the Women, Life, Freedom movement, highlighting the power of Afshar’s work to challenge, provoke, and inspire.
Burial: The South London boy sent from above
Since erupting onto the dubstep scene with South London Boroughs (2005), Burial has maintained an air of mystery. Despite the scarcity of information surrounding him, the South London-based artist has long been regarded as a key figure in redefining the electronic music soundscape.
Following the release of his highly anticipated two-track EP Dreamfear/Boy Sent From Above, Lucy Rowan spoke to four fans to pay tribute to Burial’s legacy and reflect on how his hauntological sound continues to shape the scene.
Cornelia Parker masterfully captures the beauty that resides in destruction
Cornelia Parker’s retrospective exhibition at Tate Britain transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, from exploding sheds to steamrollered silver. Spanning over three decades, it showcases her signature mix of playfulness, dark humour, and political commentary through installations, sculptures, and films, all accompanied by her own reflections.
Lucy Rowan reviews the show, examining how the British contemporary artist challenges perceptions of destruction, beauty, and renewal.
'Self Portrait with Braid' (1941): An ode to Frida Kahlo's tainted and entangled existence
In Self Portrait with Braid (1941), the infamous Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, reclaims her image in the aftermath of heartbreak, binding her identity, both literally and figuratively, through the tightly woven plait that crowns her head.
Lucy Rowan’s portrait review unravels the tension between vulnerability and resilience in Kahlo’s work, examining how the artist transformed pain into poise and personal mythology into a timeless declaration of selfhood.