Artist: Eileen Perrier

Autograph is developing the first comprehensive exhibition of Eileen Perrier’s work. Since the 1990s, Perrier’s work has challenged the conventions of portraiture, reimagining the tropes of 19th-century European and contemporary African studio portraiture. Created with and within communities, her photography has evolved into a form of social engagement, acknowledging the profound value of being seen.

Since the 1990s, Eileen Perrier has used photographic portraiture to forge connections between people, acknowledging the profound value of being seen.

Often using makeshift studios, she brings her sitters together around shared experiences of kinship, interests or place. Her work has evolved into a form of social engagement that powerfully visualises individuality – encouraging us to look beyond social and cultural divides.

Perrier uses the tropes of 19th century European and contemporary African studio portraiture to contemplate how class, cultural identity and belonging are represented through the photographic portrait. Born and raised in London, the artist frequently encountered questions about her heritage, finding herself caught between her upbringing and her dual Ghanaian and Dominican diasporic heritage. This sense of ambiguity is central to Perrier's work, examining how identity can be shaped by both geographical and cultural contexts.

Creating inclusive environments in her practice as both an artist and senior lecturer in photography, Perrier has influenced generations of photographers. A Thousand Small Stories is the first retrospective of the artist's work, bringing together three decades of photographs.

This exhibition forms part of Autograph’s continued commitment to curate and preserve the legacy of important black women practitioners such as Perrier, and to ensure that their significant contributions to the canon of photography are recognised.