Our grant supports first major retrospective of late Black British artist Donald Rodney.

Our small grant of £5,000 to conserve three paintings by late Black British artist Donald Rodney has ensured completeness of the first major retrospective of the artist’s work. Without critical conservation, those integral paintings would not have been exhibited or toured due to their fragility.

Below Spike Island Director, Nicole Yip, and Fleur Williams, Development Manager, explain why Rodney’s work is so important for contemporary audiences.

In May 2024, Spike Island unveiled a major survey exhibition celebrating the work of the late British artist Donald Rodney (b. 1961, West Bromwich; d. 1998, London). Rodney, who emerged as a pioneering figure in the 1980s as a member of the BLK Art Group, is renowned for his innovative and multidisciplinary artistic practice. Titled Visceral Canker, the exhibition showcases key works that delve into the complex intersections of personal and political histories in Black Britain. The exhibition brings together most of the surviving works from Rodney’s career, which was tragically curtailed by his death from sickle-cell anaemia aged 37.

At the heart of the exhibition are a body of significant works from the late 1980s, including The House That Jack Built (1987), Britannia Hospital 2 (1988) and Britannia Hospital 3 (1988). These pieces, on loan from Sheffield Museums, explore profound themes such as sickness, racial violence and the enduring traumas of colonialism.

The Pilgrim Trust grant supported essential conservation work to preserve these fragile artworks. For The House That Jack Built, the magnetic discs holding the x-rays were rehoused, and delicate creases in the x-rays were meticulously repaired. Similarly, conservation efforts for Britannia Hospital 2 and Britannia Hospital 3 focused on repairing damage to the pastel and crayon elements on the x-rays, ensuring the stability of these works for future exhibitions and transport.

The Pilgrim Trust’s support has been instrumental in safeguarding Rodney’s legacy, enabling these important works to be preserved for public display. The exhibition is expected to attract a combined audience of over 120,000 people, introducing new viewers to Rodney’s ground-breaking work and reaffirming his place as a pivotal figure in British art history.

Visceral Canker is currently at Nottingham Contemporary and will open at the Whitechapel Gallery in February 2025.

Find out more about our Preservation and Conservation grant programme.

Image credit: Rob Harris / Spike Island