Christopher Samuel at the Birmingham MAG
- Fred McGrail
- Feb 5
- 3 min read
Another blog on another exhibition? Too right. This one's worth the read I promise you, are we ready Freddos?
Christopher Samuel, one of my fellow DMU graduates, (very chuffed for his success), exhibited at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery this year. The exhibition has sadly come to an end otherwise I would be recommending you go, but the next best thing is to both read on and check this out.
The exhibition Watch Us Lead, is the result of extensive research and shared stories of lived experiences, collected from Christopher's residency with Birmingham Museums Trust. The residency focused on the voices of black and brown disabled communities in Birmingham. Bringing attention to how this community is now disconnected from the cultural sector due to an ongoing legacy of stigma and shame. The overarching goal of the exhibition was to change the narrative and to provoke conversation and to celebrate differences, this can be seen evidently in his piece Pray For Me which so happens to be my favourite piece amongst the collection!
Pray For Me is a stained glass window depicting a man in a wheelchair as a being of holiness, with followers or disciples surrounding him. The impact this piece has is powerful, its playful, poetic and most of all, successful in it's message delivery. Christianity has a complex and exclusionary history with disabilities and it's clear to see where this piece was going. The way Christopher has highlighted this is chefs kiss. It's a way of fighting back and reclaiming power against an institution that hasn't majorly raised the voices of disabled people.
Christopher says that this piece was in response to historic stain glass windows where sick or disabled people were seen being healed or needing to be 'saved', he decided to use traditional art forms to fix the narrative and depict disabled people without an ableist voice of pity. So to me, this feels like a slight fuck you, from using the same technique these artists used to depict sick and disabled people the way they did and with the same story telling nature, but instead using them as a way to lift people with disabilities, rather than bringing them down.
The piece itself is striking yet complementary, his strong, bright use of colour allows for the figures within the work to really stand out. The detailing throughout is especially effective, with sharp lines beaming outward from the centre, clear facial lines and detailed creases in the garments. It's with all this in mind that the work truly captivates the viewer.
In addition to the stain glass works, the pieces within the exhibition consisted of 9 interview recordings from disabled people of colour and their experiences in Birmingham, including one where Christopher talks of his own childhood and barriers from systematic exclusion. Along with these audio clips were drawings done by Christopher that mirror moments in the lives of the people being interviewed. Also found were a selection of archive pieces from the Birmingham Museums Trust and the charity Mencap. This archive highlighted the ridiculous and offensive language used towards disabled people.
Exhibitions which revolve around themes such as these, are vital in making sure everyones voices are heard. With a lack of education and representation, its important that we provoke important conversations and encourage people to break down their own ignorance and to reflect on the ongoing issues within our society, I feel that educating from lived experiences, like these ones, is the best way to tackle this.
This exhibition brought attention to my own ignorance around accessibility and awareness, specifically within gallery spaces. I feel that Pray For Me highlighted where other exhibitions have missed the mark with their considerations towards people with disabilities. One thing I noticed were the various formats of information booklets provided, allowing everyone to experience and enjoy the exhibition. Christopher had included booklets in braille as well as one which was easier for readers to digest rather than the exclusive language most galleries uphold to. The exhibition highlighted for me what needs to change going forward regarding accessibility within gallery spaces, it has made me realise how I should approach them differently whenever I'm a part of group or solo show.
Overall, the exhibition was great and showcased a collection of incredible work, the interviews and drawings are now part of Birmingham's official archive and are valuable in contributing to the missing archival pieces of black and brown disabled people through history, this feels like a great way to honour their memory, Christopher talks more on the exhibition below, give it a watch!
