The Nue Black Aesthetic

Nue Black Aesthetic is a landmark show celebrating the work of contemporary Black designers whose work shape the contemporary design industry. Spanning furniture, architecture, fashion and installation, the exhibition will unpack the multifaceted practices of designers who draw directly from identity and culture, build community and those who are redefining design systems far beyond the Black community.

Including works by Mac Collins, Samuel Ross, Bianca Saunder and Giles Tettey Nartey, this thought-provoking show will invite visitors to consider how the Black experience today is central to a designer’s practice and to rethink assumptions about what Black design looks like and who gets to shape design culture. The exhibition title draws on the legacy of the Black Aesthetic movement of the 1960s and the New Black Aesthetic of the 1980s. The ‘Nue Black Aesthetic’ reflects this contemporary era of Black design – one that is shaped by the myriad nuances in the expressions of the Black experience today. The term ‘Nue’ derives from the Middle French word ‘nuer’, meaning ‘to make shades of colour’, which gave us the word ‘nuance’.

This exhibition is guest-curated by the founder of A Vibe Called Tech and author of Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design, Charlene Prempeh, in collaboration with the Design Museum.

Background image: 'Strange Notes' © Giles Tettey Nartey.