Top American sculptor displays works in Margate

Simone Leigh's sculptures are on display until March 2026

Two sculptures by an internationally-renowned American artist have gone on display at a gallery in east Kent.

The artwork by Simone Leigh will be on show at Turner Contemporary in Margate until March 2026.

A prestigious exhibition of her work is due to open at the Royal Academy in London in 2027.

Clarrie Wallace, director of the Margate gallery, said: "Leigh's powerful sculptures speak to black female subjectivity, histories of resilience, care, and community."

An exhibition of the artist's work will open at the Royal Academy in London in 2027

She added: "Their presence continues our commitment to presenting the most significant sculptors working today while fostering conversations that resonate far beyond our gallery walls."

Simone Leigh has spent more than 20 years exploring black female subjectivity.

Her practice across sculpture, video and installation includes works that merge the female form with architectural structures and materials to draw attention to histories that have often been overlooked or erased, according to the gallery.

These two recent sculptures focus on "women's unacknowledged acts of work, community and care".

"They demonstrate Leigh's ongoing interest in African aesthetics, architecture, and the idea of the body as a vessel, or metaphor for shelter and refuge," a gallery spokesperson said.