About
Isaac Mettle
What's happening
Artist Statement for The Vault (Inaugural Exhibition, Black History Month)
For the inaugural show at MSL’s new venue The Vault, I return to photography to create a portrait-based body of work that centers Black identity in Brighton. These portraits, made during Black History Month, are not only images but conversations — visual documents shaped by the words and stories of those photographed.
This project builds on my ongoing exploration of identity: how it is lived, perceived, and negotiated between cultures. Where my paintings lean into abstraction and imagination, these portraits ground themselves in human presence. They affirm the richness and multiplicity of Black lives in Brighton, a city often celebrated for diversity yet still marked by gaps in representation.
Each photograph is guided by questions about identity, heritage, belonging, and resilience. Together, the work aims to create a collective portrait of Black Brighton — layered, complex, and unapologetically visible. It is a tribute, but also a challenge: to see, to listen, and to acknowledge.
