“What motivates my curatorial practice is the possibility of using more imaginative techniques in the curation of art works and collaborating with artists to expand the context of their work. My approach is always artist led and centred in a praxis of care to remove the obsession of racialising Black people/artists that Britain has. I just want Black artists to make the work that burns in them and support how they show this to the world.
I’m keen to see the sector move away from only validating traumatic Black experiences and marvelling at them in galleries, to resourcing Black curators & artists instead – giving autonomy and financial backing to Black artists and creatives to dream bigger and share from a space of untouchable self-esteem and intent.”
Aliyah’s work focuses on expanding the curatorial imagination and possibilities of play for Black communities and documenting everyday lives through a “decolonial” praxis. In 2020, she founded Black Curatorial, an organisation aiming to create virtual and physical space for Black curators and creatives to play and experiment within their practice.
Aliyah has curated for Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on ‘The Past is Now,’ Eastside Projects: This is the Gallery & the Gallery is Many Things X, D&AD Shift with Google Showcase, TEDxBrum @ Birmingham Hippodrome, SBTV and she also curated the Black Icons of Birmingham mural in Digbeth, 2019.
Aliyah doesn’t business with fart foolishness and is very intentional with the canon she wants to contribute to. She is also on Greatcoat Film’s Emerging Directors Roster.
