In her first major exhibition in the American South, Make Do and Mend at The Contemporary Austin, British artist Lubaina Himid continues her work as a self-proclaimed “political strategist who uses visual language to encourage conversation, argument and change.”1
Himid, a trailblazing artist-advocate and pioneer during the 1980s British Black Arts Movement, has left an indelible mark with her expansive approach to painting and her reimagining of the British art history canon. Her influence, spanning forty years, is a testament to her significant role in connecting the people of the Black diaspora. In 2017, she made history as the first Black woman artist to receive the prestigious Turner Prize, a recognition long overdue. Her latest accolade, the 2024 Suzanne Deal Booth Prize / FLAG Art Foundation Prize, brings her to the heart of Austin, Texas with two new bodies of work that brilliantly emphasize the site specificity of the museum.
The museum’s historic building is located just blocks from the Texas State Capitol, making it a prime location for socio-political exchange. The exhibition’s layout, a testament to Himid’s formal training in theater design, is an experience best maneuvered in descending order per her directive. The second-floor gallery features an installation of sixty-four individually painted wood plank portraits, lovingly entitled Aunties. These architectural interventions, made of fragmented wood scraps and arranged in groups, memorialize the women who are critical pillars of support and nurturing.
variable. Installation view of Lubaina Himid: Make Do and Mend, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2024. Artwork © Lubaina Himid. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photograph by Alex Boeschenstein and image courtesy of The Contemporary Austin.
Across the Black diaspora, “auntie” is a term of endearment, a sign of admiration and reverence. Aunties offer guidance, unsolicited advice and occasionally, side-eye-worthy judgment. They gather at parties and talk about how much weight someone has gained. They cook the best macaroni and cheese at the family reunion. They badger folks about getting married (while often being unmarried and in long-term “situationships” themselves), and their homes are filled with plastic-covered furniture and bathroom towels that are purely decorative. Through these works, Himid evokes memories of the women who influenced her life and owns her status as a wise and accomplished auntie figure herself. Like real-life aunties, the portraits are a permissive and comforting reinforcement in the face of uncertainty. Himid’s precise and intentional display of the Aunties creates the illusion that the towering planks were plucked directly from the ceiling beams, further emphasizing the unique context of the museum.
As viewers descend upon the first-floor gallery, they carry the warmth and familiarity of the Aunties with them. Himid’s second body of new work is a series of ten Strategy Paintings. The series is a visual exploration of the liminal space between a problem and a solution. Each composition consists of two to three figures seated at a table that is topped with an assortment of objects that are embedded with subtle clues of the overwhelming topics they represent. Himid’s exuberant color palette of plush pinks, muted yellows, sunset oranges, and midnight blues warm the room. In Bitter Battles (2023), two figures sort lemons as they take up the question of monuments: Who gets exalted into history, and who gets condemned or incarcerated? Questions of care come to the fore in Flora Britannica (2023). Two seated female figures turn to each other in an embrace while a male figure stands nearby. The tension pours out of the frame as the central figure is unsure who to trust. The table is filled with seeds all native to the United Kingdom, some with medicinal properties; the other half are poisonous. When does care become dangerous? In an increasingly individualistic society, how can one ensure mutual trust? Himid physically manifests each painting by placing a locally fabricated 14-seat table in the gallery’s center. Through this staging, she makes space for everyday people to engage in their own critical dialogues. The active participation of museum visitors underscores their role in the exhibition, making them feel part of the experience, encouraging contemplation, and enhancing their connection with the work. The viewer becomes engulfed in each conflict and empowered by the responsibility they have to weigh in and help the figures come to a resolution.
“Contemporary art is a way to process the times that we live in, and Texas is at the heart of a lot of those conversations. Whether you agree with the policies or not, it’s a very rich space to begin having a dialogue,” says The Contemporary Austin’s Head Curator, Alex Klein, in a video call. The exhibition’s title, Make Do and Mend, which Klein aptly described as a remix of the British saying “Keep Calm and Carry On,” is a direct call to action that speaks to the ingenuity and resilience within the African diaspora. Himid’s artistic legacy has always critically engaged with the history of people, places, and gargantuan problems in society. She empowers viewers to resist the power structures that give way to inequity. With the election season on the horizon and Texas state politics in constant regression, Himid invites her audience to claim seats at the table, make their voices heard, and work together to reimagine a better future.
[1] Quote from Lubaina Himid cited by Emma Ridgway in her essay “Invisible Strategies,” included in Himid’s 2019 monograph Lubaina Himid: Workshop Manual (pages 157-161).
