
Exhibitions
Between Two Worlds: Vanley Burke and Francis Williams
Two portraits created three centuries apart
The Global Africa collection brings together works by artists, designers and performers of Global African descent, alongside works that represent Global Africans. Ranging from Carrie Mae Weems' legendary photography to a pair of Grace Wales Bonner 'Afrique' jeans, from Kehinde Wiley's decorative portrait of Melissa Thompson to Keith Khan's Trinidad carnival jab jab costumes, the array of objects in the collection originate from the continent and its global diasporas, including the Caribbean. Discover more about the collection through highlight objects, interviews with creatives, and news of upcoming exhibitions and events.
Between Two Worlds: Vanley Burke and Francis Williams
Two portraits created three centuries apart
Discover more about the history of the V&A's Global Africa Collection and our ongoing work to shape collecting policies and practice.
Discover more about African cloth types through our collections
Discover how Althea McNish's tropical textile designs changed the character of British Modernism
Join Senior Curator Christine Checinska as she examines this striking fuchsia ensemble
Explore two important portraits separated by three centuries
Meet iconic fashion designer Shade Thomas-Fahm
Take a close-up look at the glittering dress that was worn by Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards in 1994
Follow this trail to discover African fashion and textiles across our collections
Staying Power aims to raise awareness of the contribution of black Britons to British culture and society, as well as to the art of photography
Meet Alphadi – world renowned fashion designer drawing upon histories and cultures from across the continent
Meet Nisha Kanabar, founder and CEO of Industrie Africa
Take a look inside the wardrobe of Professor Lalage Bown, OBE
Take a closer look at European depictions of race, enslavement, pride, freedom, equality and activism
Unpack the symbolism behind this spectacular sculpture
Find out more about OSPAAAL
Learn about some of Africa's 'talking textiles' and have a go at making your own!
Marvel at pieces inspired by fabrics discarded by Europe and America
Discover the African creatives who are reinvigorating ancient textiles and inventing radical new fabrics
Photographer Jodi Bieber invited women to pose in their own homes, dressed in their underwear, for her series Real Beauty
Explore the traumatic history that connects Britain and the Caribbean
Discover a hugely popular African textile tradition
Meet the pioneering portrait photographer James Barnor
Grace Wales Bonner presented highlights from her collection which take inspiration from black visual culture and mix couture techniques with African craft
"One of the most important outfits in a man's wardrobe is a tracksuit"
Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, talks about her extraordinary career and the heyday of Motown
Discover more about Wedgwood's anti-slavery medallion – a forerunner of the protest badge
Explore the portrait of scholar and writer Francis Williams
Discover Thomas J Price's sculptures, which, when placed in dialogue with works in the V&A Sculpture Galleries, prompt questions about representation and the ways in which art is displayed.
Price discusses how his work raises questions of representation, perception and power, prompting us to think about the nature of monuments: who is represented and why?