Making reference directly to the visual vibrancy and bright colours of her work, I See In Colour is the debut solo exhibition of Black British painter Cece Philips. I See In Colour explores Philips’ use of pigment to bring out a sense of joy, playing with the phrase “I don’t see colour.” which has been and continues to be a phrase heard frequently throughout her life. The title also makes literal link to her use of black and white photographic images of reference and sources of inspiration for her painted works.

I See In Colour aims to invite the viewer to imagine the personal stories and narratives that sit behind the words “immigrant”, “windrush” and the phrase “British History”. Using a mixture of historical and contemporary sources, Philips’ works use colour as a way of imbuing a sense of happiness and pride that emanates through the Black British community, despite the immense barriers faced. Each person who has experienced the displacement and journeying nature of arrival in the UK has had private and intimate lives, and the works within the show explore these everyday social narratives.