In Conversation:
Simon Frederick, Alayo Akinkugbe and Emily Burns.

Thursday 23 March
6.30 – 8.30pm

Join us for a celebration of Faces of Fame: G F Watts X Simon Frederick, as this trailblazing display comes to a close.

Hear art historian, writer and founder of @ablackhistoryofart Alayo Akinkugbe in conversation with artist, photographer and film-maker Simon Frederick and Faces of Fame Curator, Emily Burns about the motivation behind the display of works on loan from the National Portrait Gallery.

The discussion will consider the display’s juxtaposition of Frederick’s ‘Black is the New Black’ series of contemporary photographic portraits of leading Black Britons alongside paintings from G F Watts’s ‘Hall of Fame’ - two portrait series made by different artists over a century apart. During the evening, themes of identity, representation, identification, portraiture and the art of photography will be examined. Together, the speakers will explore what a national ‘hall of fame’ means in contemporary Britain: who should be included and who gets to decide?

There will also be an opportunity to meet Artist in Residence, Habib Hajallie and visit his working studio. Responding to ideas explored in Faces of Fame, Habib has a six-month period of research and development at Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village. Through his artistic practice, Habib empowers often marginalised minorities through the exploration of identity within his ballpoint pen portraiture.

Join us in the Gallery to see the display, buy a drink from our pop-up bar and visit the Artist in Residence studio.

We will be running a free minibus from Guildford Station to Watts Gallery, leaving Guildford at 6.15pm. There will be a return journey after the event has ended. Places must be booked in advance and are first-come first-served. Please email learning@wattsgallery.org.uk to reserve a place or to find out more.

The Faces of Fame: G F Watts X Simon Frederick display has been created in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery as part of their transformational Inspiring People project which includes an extensive programme of nationwide activities, funded by The National Heritage Lottery Fund and Art Fund.