'Art doesn't only belong in galleries': The curators opening up their home for a major Black History Month exhibition

Maya Landers Price and Natasha Landers are set to open their Walthamstow home on Saturday 24th October for a bold exhibition celebrating the work of more than 20 Black artists, writes Marco Marcelline

Two Walthamstow art curators will open their home to the public on Saturday, 24th and 31st October for a major exhibition celebrating the work of more than 20 Black artists.

Maya Landers Price and Natasha Landers have staged exhibitions from their home gallery for over a year now, swapping the traditional white-cube gallery experience for something more intimate.

The unconventional setting means visitors encounter work surrounded by furniture, books, colour and the everyday details of a lived-in home – “making it easier to imagine art as part of their own lives”, the pair say.

And on the last two Saturdays of October (24th and 31st), the public is invited to witness Framed in Black, which features painting, photography, digital art, sculpture and print exploring the breadth of Black British experience – from identity, heritage and migration to culture, community, resistance, humour, belonging and joy.

And at its centre, there is also a pointed pride in being a local exhibition – as Maya states: “There is so much creativity in Waltham Forest, and we don’t need to go into central London for ambitious cultural things to happen.

“I love the idea that someone might travel across London to see the exhibition while someone else might live around the corner and simply be curious about what’s happening inside the house. Both should feel equally welcome.”

The show is their home gallery’s (called The Lemon Seed Project) biggest group exhibition to date and its central aim, the pair say, is to “resist the idea that Black Britishness can be reduced to one story or experience”.

“There isn’t one Black British experience, and we never wanted the exhibition to suggest there was. The artists are approaching the theme from completely different places – some of the work is political, some personal, some funny, nostalgic or joyful,” says Maya.

She adds: “Lemon Seed Project started from a simple idea: what happens when you take art out of the traditional gallery and put it somewhere people already understand – a home? We want people to feel that art can belong in their lives, not just in galleries. You don’t need to know the right language or feel like you already belong in the art world to walk through the door and connect with something.”

Exhibition visitors can expect more than just visual art; a collaborative Black British soundtrack is being created with contributions from artists and the public around the question: ‘If the Black British experience had a soundtrack, what song would have to be on it?’

Framed in Black is presented in collaboration with Art For Hours, founded by Phoebe Olanrewaju and Daniel Williams, who co-curated the exhibition alongside Maya and Natasha. The collaboration also marks Art For Hours’ first exhibition.

Co-founder Phoebe said: “Art For Hours was created to spotlight Black artists and create meaningful spaces around their work. With Framed in Black, we wanted to bring together artists who offer different perspectives on the Black British experience – exploring identity, heritage, culture, community and joy in their own unique ways.

“For us, the exhibition is about creating space for these stories to be seen, celebrated and shared. We hope people leave having discovered an artist they connect with and a new perspective on the richness of Black creativity.”

Following the private view on Friday 23rd October, the home gallery will open for two free public viewing days on Saturday 24 October and Saturday 31 October, from 12pm to 4pm. The first public day on 24th October is already fully booked.

Find out more about the Lemon Seed Project and book a visiting slot for their upcoming exhibition here

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