Donal Rodney
Courtesy of the Artist's Estate

Donald Rodney (1961-1998) was one of the most innovative and versatile artists of his generation. Born and raised in Birmingham, Rodney was profoundly affected by encounters with artists such as Keith Piper, Eddie Chambers, Marlene Smith and Claudette Johnson, who were re-examining social and historical narratives from a black perspective.

His work became increasingly politicised, appropriating images from the mass media, art and popular culture to explore issues associated with history, representation, masculinity and the pernicious nature of racism. He later became interested in examining his experience of sickle cell anaemia, which he used as a metaphor for wider social and political ills in contemporary society.