In a first for the British Museum, a series of exciting new acquisitions by emerging British artists, will be the focus of a new exhibition. Drawing attention: emerging British artists will exhibit more than 20 new acquisitions by contemporary emerging artists including Jade Montserrat, many of which have never been displayed before. These artists have lived, studied, or worked in the UK, and their work will be displayed alongside drawings by renowned figures including Michelangelo and Andy Warhol.

Twenty-four works, acquired with the support of an Art Fund New Collecting Award, showcase innovative new approaches, methods and materials, with the emerging artists using mediums ranging from make-up on a facial wipe to coloured pencil on paper, experimenting with the boundaries of what a drawing can be. 

Fifteen pieces from the British Museum’s world-renowned collection of prints and drawings will also be included in the exhibition, highlighting continuities in drawing across time. Famous artists ranging from Michelangelo to Andy Warhol, Käthe Kollwitz and Antony Gormley, will be on show alongside the new acquisitions, which include works by Sin Wai Kin (formerly known as Victoria Sin; b.1991), Rosie Hastings & Hannah Quinlan (both b.1991) and Jessie Makinson (b.1985). These acquisitions reflect on, extend and develop the existing collections, and expand the wide range of subjects and techniques found in the national collection of Western prints and drawings cared for by the British Museum.

The new acquisitions from these emerging artists bring stories and perspectives not currently represented in the Museum collection, including artists addressing challenging questions of identity, gender, sexuality and social justice. Some of the artists look inwards, exploring their personal experiences, while others confront complex social issues such as LGBTQ+ representation and the experience of other marginalised groups.

The exhibition is formed of three sections: Self and Other, Alternate Histories and Medium and Materiality. Self and Other highlights how drawing – a medium historically used as a means of self-examination – can be used to investigate the relationship between the personal and external.

Read the full article here.