Deborah Roberts presents her newest body of work in the exhibition "Consequences of being" at The FLAG Art Foundation, featuring eight canvases and nine mixed-media works on paper that blend collage, painting, and drawing. The works explore the postcolonial landscape of Europe and Africa, using fragmented imagery of Black children against stark-white backgrounds to address themes of colonialism, commerce, and identity. Key pieces include "Have a seat, this may take a while" (2025), which incorporates miniature sailing ships and a collaged tiara from Queen Elizabeth II, and "Hands in the air," which critiques racist packaging from a German ice cream company. The exhibition also includes a series of eight collages titled "Many thousands gone" and a sculptural edition, "Zuri," a ceramic bust with metallic glaze.
This exhibition matters because it expands Roberts's focus from the Black experience in America to a broader postcolonial critique, engaging with the lingering inhumanity of monarchy and mercantilism. By layering archival sources with contemporary references, Roberts reinvests her work with over a century of Black thought, creating deeply empathetic yet politically charged images. The inclusion of her first sculptural edition marks a significant expansion of her practice into three dimensions, while the exhibition's arrangement at The FLAG Art Foundation underscores the institution's commitment to presenting socially engaged contemporary art.