Doyle Wham is proud to present Africanesse: the UK’s first solo exhibition of renowned Cameroonian artist Angèle Etoundi Essamba.

The exhibition showcases Essamba’s groundbreaking series of vintage silver gelatin prints: black and white photographs of non-professional models, who range from family members to friends and acquaintances of the artist, to acquaintances she encountered on the streets of Amsterdam. Throughout her career, Essamba has foregrounded the female narrative, reflecting on the complex cultural identities of the modern African woman and inspiring subsequent generations of women photographers. Under the artist’s loving gaze, Black skin itself becomes the subject of the collection, questioning the traditional parameters of portraiture. Alongside the beauty of lustrous bare skin, Essamba's accessorises her subjects with swaths of fabric, traditional headwear, jewellery or body paint, challenging stereotypical presentations of Black women.