Michaela Yearwood-Dan's 'The Practice of Liberation' at the Whitworth

Michaela Yearwood-Dan, a Black queer feminine artist, presents 'The Practice of Liberation' at the Whitworth in Manchester until 18 October 2026. The exhibition combines painting, ceramics, sound, and installation to explore Blackness, queerness, femininity, spirituality, and cultural inheritance. It borrows from Catholic visual language while interrogating colonial legacies, transforming the gallery into a contemplative space. Yearwood-Dan discusses liberation as an ongoing practice, influenced by bell hooks and James Baldwin, and centers joy, softness, and care as radical acts of resistance. The installation includes references to the Stations of the Cross, the Wedding at Cana, and Ghanaian bolga baskets, challenging distinctions between craft and fine art. The work aims to create a sanctuary for reflection and rest.