Soulful Hues

Long walls, maze-like forming four chambers, held precious pieces of art from established and emerging artists whose artistic journeys are interconnected. In each chamber, long benches are thoughtfully positioned for viewing and soaking in the creations’ beauty. This is the approach curator Larry Ossei-Mensah is known for. This is the Sounds of Blackness.

-  ANGELA NICOLE GUIRAL

Opened last March 14, 2023, at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Sounds of Blackness is a group exhibition featuring an ensemble of artists from the African Diaspora. It highlighted a range of styles from the artists, many exhibiting in the Philippines for the first time. Among the emotions evoked by the pieces were joy, beauty, pain and other complexities of Black life around the globe.

“Seeing and understanding the nuances of humanity through these communities where these artists come from and [getting] inspirations for their art interests me the most in this first-of-its-kind exhibition in the Philippines,” says Ossei-Mensah in an interview with Tatler.