Anika Roach

Anika Roach was born in 1996 in London, United Kingdom, where she currently lives and works.

Roach earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Art History from Goldsmiths University in London (2015-2019). She also completed a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Camberwell College of Arts in London in 2015.

The artist vividly explores the representation of Black individuals, a subject often underrepresented in the history of painting and art in general. To bring her subjects to life, she employs vibrant colors characteristic of African textile culture, such as yellow, red, pink, and blue. The figures depicted are often without limbs or gender, placed in unusual and sometimes unsettling scenarios.

These paintings delve into the discussion of the absence of Black figures in the history of Western art. Through her work, Roach not only challenges the historical artistic canon but also addresses the social and political weight that often constrains the uniqueness of Black experiences.

Humor and absurdity are central elements in her art, creating space for an authentic representation of Blackness. The faceless and nonspecific figures are playful and open to multiple interpretations, subverting predefined social norms.

One notable work, All Together for the Heat (2024), exemplifies the fanciful humor and suspended critique that permeate her decapitated figures.

The collective imagery of sports history, politics, and a wide range of media intersects with a layering of traditional and familiar compositions. Her works, enlivened by expressive colors, become collages of everyday experiences observed by the artist on the streets of London, resulting in joyful and imaginative creations.