Blind But I Can See (2021) photography | film | painting
‘Blind But I Can See’ is a poignant exploration of personal grief, retaining due reverence in three images that marry the past and present. Commissioned and exhibited at Autograph in London, for the group exhibition ‘Care | Contagion | Community - Self and Other’ in 2021. In the wake of his father’s death during the COVID-19 pandemic, the artist uses his own body on his father’s bed, lying amongst the latter’s treasured possessions including a hat and a book, creating a shared space. As can be seen in other bodies of De’Souza-Hartley’s work, the visual quietness of the triptych challenges social expectations of not only masculinity but also expressions of grief and love. The film of the same title focuses on the gentle movement of trees outside the artist’s window to demonstrate the unrepeatable nature of any given moment, a cultural concept described in Japanese philosophy as ‘ichi-go, ichi-e’.The scenes of stillness captured in both photography and moving image formed the basis of Intimations, a double solo show with Silvia Rosi at Materia Gallery, Rome, in 2022.
Form (2020) photography
Form is the title of a series of photographs that contrasts intertwined human bodies with bare interiors. It was first presented in the restored splendour of Pitzhanger Manor as part of the Artist for Pitzhanger fundraising campaign in 2020, further underlining the architectural influence on the work’s composition and style.
Masculinity (2010-2018) photography | film | sound
Masculinity is an investigation into the complexities of masculinity through photography, moving image, and sound.
The project has developed in phases since 2010 and encompasses men of diverse backgrounds. Whether inserting his own body into inherently male domains – these range from the intimate settings of a barbershop to the working environments of steelworkers, miners, and stock market traders – or recording the insecurities experienced by men if confronted by a camera in an empty room, Masculinity contrasts the vulnerability and tenderness of the naked body with the external expectation and stereotypes associated with everyday situations and settings.
With Before For The Last Moment Othello De’Souza-Hartley questions the role of masculinity in gang culture in response to a specific event. By placing his naked body in a deserted urban scene the artist expresses a sense of loneliness and emptiness in the aftermath of a stabbing that took place nearby.
A sound piece made in collaboration with music producer, composer, and sound artist Ian Dean concludes the Masculinity series. Based on interviews Othello De’Souza-Hartley conducted with men in various locations across the UK, the piece illustrates how masculinity is the dominant, uniting force, ahead of race or class.
Masculinity was nominated for Peer to Peer, a group show of 14 artists, selected by 14 curators from the UK and China, showing in Liverpool and Shanghai in 2019.
Own Narrative ( 2017) photography
As can be seen throughout De’Souza-Hartley’s practice, constant attention is being paid to the ways in which personal expression can usurp societal norms and labels. Own Narrative is a series of Polaroid prints that capture the artist’s performative rejection of societal norms and binary attitudes toward gender and sexuality. The project was curated as part of Rome Art Week in October 2018.
Reclaim the Skin (2018- ongoing) photography
In this photographic series, Othello De’Souza-Hartley affirms a critical stance on the social conditioning that occurs in relation to race and gender. Reclaim the Skin is a visual exploration into reclaiming one’s authentic self in the face of colourism and misogyny.
I Am (2018) photography
Expanding on the vulnerability explored in his self-portraits, with I Am Othello De’Souza-Hartley explores the role of hair in the expression of female identity and its cultural and personal significance for Black women.
Within (2017) photography
A residency with the Ugandan Arts Trust in 2017 resulted in a series of more than 100 portraits that evolved from extensive research into the country’s history and traditions.
Noise 2018 [film]
‘Noise’ is a film work made in collaboration with New York-based multidisciplinary artist, Blu Smith. Concerned with issues and events in the Black public consciousness at the time of production in 2018, this is a work that is only getting richer and more poignant with age. The artist was particularly motivated by events that illuminated transhistorical violence against Black communities, from David Lammy MP’s speech on Windrush in the House of Commons to young girls in South Africa being sent home from school due to their natural hair. Using archival clips, the sound quickly becomes sonically claustrophobic, creating an illustration of the lived experience of being Black in the contemporary moment. The artist’s breathing is audible towards the end of the film, emphasising individual trauma as well as that which is collectively felt.
Paintings
In a similar light to the way in which De’Souza-Hartley is approaching new work in the medium of drawing, recent paintings reject a strict sense of realism and perfection in order to dive deeper into the artist’s interests in bold materiality and craftsmanship, as well as an appreciation of simple objects and their uses. Employing unusual mixed media to paintings. the artist’s love of the colour black once again takes centre stage, resulting in works that are both dramatic and contemplative, bold and intricate.
Drawings
Recent drawings mark a new chapter in De’Souza-Hartley’s practice, with an ongoing series of pieces using Chinese ink on Japanese paper, anchoring the current moment in the artist’s thinking, as well as his artistic and social influences. After spending some time at the Royal Drawing School, his aptitude for portraiture was revealed and developed, however while admiring the perceived perfection of working in realism, De’Souza-Hartley found himself gravitating towards a form of abstraction that felt more personal. These works are born out of a love for black pigment, Japanese philosophies of simplicity, and an underpinning rejection and refusal of perfection.