Rugby Collection painting features in prestigious London exhibition

Rugby Borough Council has loaned the oil on canvas piece West Indian, by Winston Branch, to No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960-1990, a ground-breaking archive and art exhibition.

The exhibition explores Black British cultural identities, heritage and creative voices, focusing on the life works of Eric and Jessica Huntley.

The couple founded the Bogle L'Ouverture Press - a pioneering publishing house, bookshop and cultural hub - in 1969, producing work inspired by decolonisation and the fight against discrimination.

No Colour Bar creates a multi-sensory, multi-visual experience including works of art, sculpture, photographs, paintings, letters and other artefacts from a host of prominent Black artists, including Eddie Chambers, Sonia Boyce, Denzil Forrester and Chila Kumari Burman.

Cllr Heather Timms, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for culture, said: "This exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery provides an excellent opportunity to share a work from our respected art collection with a wider audience and gain national recognition for Rugby."

The Rugby Collection of 20th and 21st century British art was established by the council in 1946 and now has nearly 200 pieces, including works by LS Lowry, Barbara Hepworth, Stanley Spencer and Bridget Riley.

No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960-1990 runs at the Guildhall Art Gallery until 24 January 2016.

The exhibition, a collaboration between the Friends of the Huntley Archives at the London Metropolitan Archives (FHALMA), the Guildhall Art Gallery and the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Photo caption: West Indian, by Winston Branch, features in a new exhibition at London's Guildhall Art Gallery.