Sandra Mujinga

Whether these are the spectral personifications of forgotten histories, the remnants of colonial legacies, or harbingers of the climate crisis and planetary destruction, Sandra Mujinga is fascinated with the idea of ghosts. She is concerned with the idea of traces and fragments; that nothing ever disappears completely. Perhaps just like with ghosts, one tries to forget that they are there, to consign their presence to the corner of the room, but they remain lurking, like an underlying anxiety. Mujinga says that when you are born into a racialised body, the histories and violence of colonialism can never be forgotten; overlooking the past is a privilege. The artist’s work takes several forms, from moving image to installation. Her most recognisable piece to date saw four figures, Libwá, Mókó, Nkáma and Zómi, faceless, towering above the visitor and rendered with textiles, guarding the space. Bathed in chroma key green – the colour used for green screen, onto which anything can be transposed and therefore fictionalised – the sculptures seem able to transform, mutate, or reappear. ...

The Approach is co-directed by Jake Miller and Emma Robertson. Located in Bethnal Green above The Approach Tavern, for over twenty years it has operated an internationally recognised programme from its East London base. The gallery is known for discovering artists and establishing their careers as well as making inter-generational curated group shows a strong focus. The list of represented artists includes the Estates of important overlooked female artists Heidi Bucher and Maria Pinińska Bereś, as well as seminal British collage artist John Stezaker, together with established and emerging artists including Magali Reus, Peter Davies, Lisa Oppenheim, Sandra Mujinga, Pam Evelyn, Sara Cwynar, Sam Windett and Caitlin Keogh. Over the years the gallery has operated parallel programmes in additional gallery spaces in London’s West End (The Approach W1) and in Shoreditch (The Reliance). The gallery is currently based solely in its original East End location and continues to expand its programme, showcasing its represented artists in the main gallery space, and both represented and non-represented artists in The Annexe, a smaller, more experimental space at the back of the building. ...