Galerie—Peter—Sillem will present the solo show "Blueprint: Black Skin, White Mask" by Melanie Issaka.

What does it mean to be a Black body in a white space? Black and British, an African in Europe? Blueprint: Black Skin, White Mask explores the social and political contexts of Blackness, whiteness, and the space in between.

"In this series, I negate my body through cyanotype prints, a contact print, presenting a void white shape. My body is simultaneously displayed and removed, symbolising the hypervisibility and invisibility afforded Black bodies, allowing myself and the audience to assign our historicity and meaning. Blackness is multifaceted, extending beyond the skin. This series explores the physical and conceptual nature of the Black body and its relationship to the photographic agency." Melanie Issaka

Melanie Issaka (b. 1994, Ghana) is a visual artist and freelance photographer living and working in London, UK. She graduated from The Royal College of Art with a Photography MA, having previously studied Graphic Design BA at The University of Brighton. Melanie aims to develop a social practice concerned with documentation, representation and archiving with reference to the intersectionality of Race and Gender, as well as exploring the materiality of print and lens-based media.