Maud Sulter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maud Sulter
Self-portrait (cropped)
Born	19 September 1960 Glasgow, Scotland
Died	27 February 2008(2008-02-27) (aged 47) Dumfries, Scotland
Nationality	Scottish
Alma mater	University of Derby
Occupation	Contemporary fine artist, photographer, writer and curator
Notable work	As a Blackwoman (1985)
Children	3, Ama, Efia and Alexander

Maud Sulter (born September 19, 1960 – died February 27, 2008) was a talented Scottish artist, photographer, and writer. She was also a teacher and a historian who studied culture. Maud Sulter had family roots in Ghana.

She started her career writing poems. Soon after, she became a visual artist, creating amazing artworks. By the end of 1985, her art had been shown in three exhibitions. Her first book of poems was also published that year. Sulter was known for working with other Black women who were scholars and activists. She helped share the stories of Black people living in Europe. She was very interested in the African-American sculptor Edmonia Lewis and the Haitian-born French performer Jeanne Duval.

Early Life and Education

Maud Sulter was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 19, 1960. Her mother was Scottish, and her father was Ghanaian. She earned a Master's degree in Photographic Studies from the University of Derby. Her grandfather on her mother's side was also a photographer, which might have inspired her. From 1992 to 1994, she was a main lecturer in Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University.

What Did Maud Sulter Do?

Art, Photography, and Poetry

Photo for the exhibit "Testimony: Three Blackwomen Photographers: Brenda Agard, Ingrid Pollard, Maud Sulter" at Camerawork London.

Maud Sulter took part in an important art show called The Thin Black Line in 1985. This exhibition, put together by Lubaina Himid, featured art by Black and Asian women artists. It helped bring more attention to their work in the British art world. Sulter and Himid often worked together, creating and showing their art.

Maud Sulter used many different ways to create her art. She worked with photography, film, and even made collages. She also used sound and performance in her art. Her work often explored stories from history and myths. Her photographs were shown in many places, both in the UK and around the world. Some famous places included the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1987 and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2003. She also received several awards for her work.

Besides making art, Sulter was a poet and a writer. She wrote about art history and organized many art shows. Her poetry books include As a Blackwoman (1985), Zabat: Poetics of a Family Tree (1989), and Sekhmet: A Decade or So of Poems (2005). Her play, Service to Empire (2002), was inspired by the life of Jerry Rawlings, a former leader of Ghana. You can find some of Sulter's poems online. Her writings are also kept in many libraries, like the Scottish Poetry Library.

Sulter taught Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University. She also gave talks at other universities in England. Since the mid-1980s, she organized exhibitions of her own art and the art of others. She even had her own gallery called Rich Women of Zurich in London.

Exploring Her Artworks

Sphinx Photographs

Sphinx was Maud Sulter's first big series of photographs. It included nine black and white photos taken in The Gambia. This series was first shown in September 1987 at The Black Art Gallery. The exhibition included a poem and a strong statement from Sulter: "We the women will fight... We the women will win."

Zabat Series

Maud Sulter described "Zabat" as a "sacred dance performed by groups of thirteen." She saw it as a powerful event, possibly linked to the idea of witches' sabbats. In this series, she created nine large color photographs. They showed modern Black women artists, musicians, and writers posing as ancient Greek muses. Each picture represented a different muse. Sulter also wrote poems for each muse, called "Zabat Narratives."

Syrcas and Hidden Histories

In 1993, Sulter created an art series called Syrcas, which means "Circus" in Welsh. This work aimed to bring attention to the forgotten history of Black Europeans during the Holocaust. It showed how they were also victims of genocide. The series includes a made-up character named Monique, linked to the historical background. Sulter also wrote a poem called "Blood Money" to go with it.

This series has 16 photomontage artworks. They were made by layering different images on top of postcards with landscapes. This work has been shown in France. You can view some of these artworks online.

Hysteria and Edmonia Lewis

Maud Sulter created Hysteria in 1991. This artwork tells the story of a Black woman artist from the 1800s. She travels from the Americas to Europe to become a famous sculptor. After finding success, she disappears.

Hysteria was inspired by the real life of Edmonia Lewis. Edmonia Lewis was a sculptor with African-American and Chippewa heritage. This series includes eight portraits and still-life photos. The main character, Hysteria, was modeled by Sulter herself. The portraits show people in Hysteria's life, including writers and musicians. Hysteria was first shown in Liverpool and then traveled to other places.

Significant Others and Family History

In 1993, Sulter created Significant Others. This series has nine large photographs in wooden frames, with notes for each picture. The photos were enlarged images from her own family's photo collection. They showed her Scottish and Ghanaian heritage. Sulter appears in four of the images as a child, showing her own journey and identity.

Les Bijoux and Jeanne Duval

Les Bijoux was made in 2002. These are large color Polaroid prints. The title comes from a poem by Charles Baudelaire. This exhibition features close-up self-portraits of Sulter. She poses as a character inspired by Jeanne Duval, who was a muse to Baudelaire. The goal of this work was to raise awareness about African and European cultures throughout history.

Poetry in Motion and Social Commentary

Poetry in Motion was a mixed-media artwork created in 1985. It was a social commentary on the 20th century. This work highlighted the challenges and effects of racism that African women faced during that time. Several of Sulter's poems from As a Blackwoman were part of these mixed-media collages. Poetry in Motion was shown in London in 1985.

Twa Blak Wimmin and Historical Links

Twa Blak Wimmin ("Two Black Women") was created by Sulter in 1997. It aimed to show a stronger historical connection between Europe and Africa. The title refers to old Scottish language and stories of historical Scottish women, "Blak Margaret" and "Blak Elene".

Jeanne Duval: A Melodrama I–IV

This work was created in 1994. It was inspired by poetry written by Jeanne Duval, which explored her feelings and background. Sulter had been fascinated by Jeanne Duval since 1988. This series includes four photocollages. It features a portrait photographer named Nadar, who was close to Duval. Sulter also published a book related to this piece. It was shown at the National Galleries of Scotland in 2003.

Blackwomen's Creativity Project

Sulter started working with Sheba Feminist Publisher's Collective in 1982. As the only Black woman writer there at the time, she saw a growing need for writings made for Black women. In the early 1980s, she helped start the Blackwomen's Creativity Project with Ingrid Pollard. This project created a magazine with different types of content, from hair braiding to poetry. Sulter also started her own publishing company, Urban Fox Press. Through it, she released a new edition of her first poetry book, As a Blackwoman, and her second book, Zabat: Poetics of a Family Tree, both in 1989.

Later Life and Legacy

Maud Sulter passed away in 2008 at the age of 47, after a long illness. She is remembered by her mother, Elsie, and her three children, Ama, Efia, and Alexander.

Her work helped bring together Black feminist and lesbian groups. By working with Black women artists, writers, and photographers from around the world, Sulter successfully made people more aware of the histories and ongoing presence of Black women.

Sulter's art is now kept in many important collections. These include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Council, and the Tate.

In 2011–2012, her work was shown at Tate Britain in London. This exhibition, called Thin Black Line(s), was a new version of the important 1986 show The Thin Black Line.

In 2015, Street Level Photoworks in Glasgow held a big exhibition called Maud Sulter: Passion. It showed her amazing work, especially her photography and photomontages. Her portraits of 10 famous Scottish poets were also displayed. Maud Sulter: Passion later traveled to the Impressions Gallery in Bradford in 2016. In 2016, Sulter's Syrcas photomontages were shown at the Arles Photography Festival in France. More recently, her work has been part of exhibitions like Sarah Maldoror: Tricontinental Cinema in Paris (2021) and Sulter: Centre of the Frame in Cambridge and Rochdale (2021–22).

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions

See also

In Spanish: Maud Sulter para niños