Joy Gregory @ The Exchange, Newlyn Art Gallery, Exeter

Joy Gregory is one of the major artists to emerge from the Black British photography movement of the 1980s; a time when debates around the domain of representation were explored and challenged. Gregory’s work is influenced by a combination of race, history, gender and aesthetics; firmly rooted in concepts of ‘truth and beauty’.
This major survey show Lost languages and other voices, brings together 16 bodies of work spanning 20 years. The title refers to the works Gomera and Kalahari, in which Gregory draws attention to marginalised indigenous languages. Journeys also feature, with work made in South Africa, the Orkneys, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.
The exhibition contains a number of series that explore identity, a recurring theme throughout Gregory’s practice; Autoportrait, Bottled Blonde, Objects of Beauty and Girl Thing.