Simone Leigh has announced a fall 2027 exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, featuring a series of new monumental sculptures. In an interview with the Guardian, she criticized the United States under the Trump administration, describing it as "full-on fascism" and reflecting on the kind of art produced under such conditions. She also condemned Columbia University's compliance with anti-woke policies, comparing it to the McCarthy era, and noted that artists of color have faced delayed or canceled commissions due to anti-DEI measures. The exhibition is curated by Tarini Malik, who organized the British Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
Leigh's comments and upcoming show matter because they place her work—already celebrated for its powerful, large-scale depictions of Black womanhood—in direct dialogue with urgent political crises. As a leading contemporary artist who won the Golden Lion at the 2022 Venice Biennale, her willingness to speak out against institutional complicity and censorship amplifies debates about artistic freedom, diversity, and the role of art under authoritarian pressures. The Royal Academy exhibition will likely become a landmark moment for politically engaged sculpture.