I visited Dulwich on yet another rain-soaked morning. A gloriously garish artificial flower display wraps round the entrance to the gallery, defying the gloom and setting the tone. This Lockdown-inspired show brings together artists from the African Diaspora all considering what makes a landscape.
Pick up a family activity sheet on your way in. A simple black and white fold out A3, it is well thought through, encouraging kids to look at individual works and then go on their own creative journeys. The show is laid out on four different themes: belonging, memory, joy and transformation. Children and adults alike will respond to the vibrant colours and textures on display. There is the warmth of the African and Caribbean sun shining through all of these soulscapes.
Afterwards, you are encouraged to find a, very different type of, landscape painting in the permanent collection and consider it in the context of the Soulscapes. Then outside, to find some landscapes in the gallery gardens!
Soulscapes Dulwich Picture Gallery, 14 Feb–2 June Tickets: £17.50 adults, U18s free.