To mark her new exhibition Legacy at Abbot Hall Gallery, Kendal, Charmaine Watkiss talks to fellow artist Lela Harris about their experiences of joining the permanent art collection, of using art to tell lost histories, and of Cumbria as a unique and fascinating location for drawing…  

Lela Harris: We’ve both been lucky enough to have our work form part of Lakeland Arts’ permanent art collection. It’s an incredibly humbling experience for me to see my work disrupting and exciting traditional art spaces such as Abbot Hall Gallery, by highlighting gaps in representation, and also sparking conversations about overlooked histories. What does being in the collection mean to you? 

Charmaine Watkiss: Being in a public collection is, for me, really important, it means that the conversation about the themes of my work can be discussed long after I have gone. With the work I make, I hope people are inspired to find out more in order to enrich their own understanding of wider historical narratives. It is an honour to be in a public collection, and I like that the work is accessible to all.

Abbot Hall Gallery is located in Kendal, a small rural town on the edge of the Lake District. Is this setting different from where your studio practice is based and the venues that you normally exhibit in? Did you find yourself inspired by the Cumbrian landscape, its history and its stories, and did this inform some of your new pieces? 

Yes, the setting for my solo show is quite different to locations I have exhibited in before, and very different to where my studio practice is based by the river in Woolwich. I have never exhibited in such a rural location before. I love Abbot Hall as a setting; a great many of the shows I have done up to now has been in a non- ‘white cube’ space. I think my work lends itself to domestic sized galleries, which I love. There is a lot of history in Cumbria, and to be honest I could have spent a year researching, it is a fascinating place and full of natural beauty. It is a place which I may revisit for future research.

‘Legacy’ is your biggest exhibition to date. Were you excited or apprehensive about putting such a large-scale show together and how long has the process taken? 

The process started with an initial conversation with Helen Stalker, the curator, just over two years ago. At that time, we were not thinking in terms of a large solo show at Abbot Hall, the initial conversation was around making some works for the Lakeland Arts site in Blackwell. But over time, and with many conversations, the show evolved into what we have now. I think, had I known right from the beginning how big the show was going to be, I would have found that undertaking quite intimidating!

I’m now an executive member of Lancaster Black History Group following my work on celebrating and remembering the lives of a number of 18th Century Black Lancastrians at Judges’ Lodgings Museum in Lancaster.  Your thought-provoking new exhibition focuses on empowerment, cultural diversity and a collective journey towards healing. Could you talk about the importance of fore-fronting Black histories, specifically through art? 

My exhibition Legacy looks at stories of empowerment of African descended people of the Caribbean, through their knowledge of plants and healing. This knowledge was very much sought after by people such as Hans Sloane (a physician, naturalist and collector, whose collection formed the British Museum). For me, it is important to find stories which have been largely omitted from the narrative around British history. It is about finding the interconnectedness that we all have because of Britain’s colonial past. It is also about finding contributions which were previously omitted or dismissed. My work is about creating spaces for conversations so that healing can take place. And beyond that the works speak about the human condition and the ability to transcend beyond limitations and adverse circumstances.

I personally find drawing to be a really honest and responsive way of creating. What inspires you to draw and which artists inspire you? I think what inspires me to draw is the stories I want to tell, such as how do I express ideas? I like that drawing challenges me, both technically and conceptually. 

That question is always at the forefront when I am making work. There are many artists whose work I admire, Robert Pruitt, who does really large figurative fantastical drawings; Toyin Oji Odutola, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Kara Walker’s drawings – the list is very long. I love looking at how other artists approach drawing.

Interview by Lela Harris. As told to/facilitated by Kirsty Jukes 

Read Kirsty Jukes’ “A tapestry of new possibilities…” Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy – Reviewed 

See Charmaine Watkiss: Legacy at Abbot Hall Gallery (Kirkland, Kendal LA9 5AL) until 28 December 2024. Tickets from £6-12 

Images: © Charmaine Watkiss courtesy of Abbot Hall. Top image: Charmaine Watkiss preview, credit Caroline Robinson, 2024

See more from the artist on her website charmainewatkiss.com