Queen from the 7th earth (part 2)

Ruth Ige’s practice explores the multiplicity of blackness and its intersections with representation, art history and lived experience. In recent years, her work has evolved to incorporate speculative fiction and poetry – her futuristic imaginings summoning forth a cast of ancestral figures that exist in whimsical and fantastical settings. In Queen of the 7th earth (part 2), 2024, Ige creates the portrait of an ethereal monarch from another world. The composition centralises the faceless Black figure, echoing the regal pose and symbolism of traditional royal portraits. She is framed by billowing plumes of blue and purple that evoke an elegant floor-length gown draping to the bottom of the composition. Through this majestic portrait Ige offers a futuristic counter to

contemporary representations of blackness, as she describes: ‘I wanted to show somewhere far, distant, ethereal, wonderous, joyous and holy. I wanted to show blackness in a role of esteem and reverence.’

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