Heather Agyepong

Heather Akosua Agyepong is a British photographer, visual artist, performer and actor, living in London. Her work is held in the collection of Mead Art Museum.^[1]

Early life and education

Agyepong was born and raised in London and is of Ghanaian heritage.^[2] She earned a National Diploma in Performing Arts from City of Westminster College; a BSc in Applied Psychology from the University of Kent; and an MA in Photography & Urban Cultures from Goldsmiths, University of London.^[3]

Work

In Wish You Were Here, commissioned by the Hyman Collection,^[4] Agyepong channels the American vaudeville performer Aida Overton Walker, by posing for a series of fake postcards.^[5] The work addresses physical and mental wellbeing.^[6]

The Body Remembers is a solo performance that "explores how trauma lives in the body, particularly for Black British women across different generations."^[7][8]

Group photography exhibitions

• Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts, Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, 2019–2021^[1]
• Wish You Were Here, Format Festival, Derby, 2021^[9]

Awards

• Jerwood Foundation New Work Fund award for The Body Remembers^[10]
• 2018: Nominated, South Bank Sky Arts Breakthrough Award^[11]
• 2021: Co-winner, with Joanne Coates, Jerwood/Photoworks Awards – a £15,000 award.^[12]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2020	Sylvia	Kemi	Short film
2023	Snowfalls in the Summer	Young Anita	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2020	Enterprice	Emily	Episode: "When We Roar, Dem Run"
2022	This Is Going to Hurt	Rachel	Miniseries; 1 episode
2023	The Power	Ndudi	Main cast

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Venue	Notes
2013	Antigone	Tiresias	T24 Drama, Canterbury
2015	4.48 Psychosis	Voice #2	T24 Drama, Canterbury
2016	Switch	Matilda Swoon	Tricycle Theatre, London
	Still Barred	Yaz	Battersea Arts Centre, London
	Hatch	Amma Boateng	Hackney Showroom, London	with Talawa Theatre Company
	Girls	Haleema	Soho Theatre, London	with Talawa Theatre Company
2017	Jagged Edge	Colette	Rich Mix, London
	Best Friends	Vicky	Ovalhouse, London
	So Many Reasons	Melissa	Ovalhouse, London
	Sankara	Flore	Royal National Theatre, London
2019	Noughts & Crosses	Persephone Mira Hadley	Pilot Theatre, York
2022	Celebrated Virgins	Sarah	Theatr Clwyd, Mold
2023	School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play	Ama	Lyric Theatre, London

Collections

Agyepong's work is held in the following permanent collection:

• Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts^[1]

References

1. "Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts". Amherst College. 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
2. "The photographer who became a warrior". BBC News. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
3. "CV". Heather Agyepong. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
4. "TALKS | ART IN THE CITY - Heather Agyepong". Arnolfini.
5. "2 Art Gallery Shows to Explore From Home". The New York Times. 28 May 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
6. "Aesthetica Magazine - Making the Space". Aesthetica Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
7. "DIG 21: Heather Agyepong | The Body Remembers". Tramway. 15 October 2021.
8. "Fuel Presents The Body Remembers By Heather Agyepong Exploring Trauma & Healing In The Lives Of Black British Women". Theatre Weekly. 4 August 2021.
9. O'Hagan, Sean (3 January 2021). "New year arts: Observer critics pick the culture to get us through to spring". The Observer. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
10. "Heather Agyepong – Jerwood Arts". Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
11. "The stars of the future vie for top prize at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards". The Times. 29 May 2018.
12. "Announcing Heather Agyepong and Joanne Coates Awardees of the fourth Jerwood/Photoworks Awards". Photoworks. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

External links

• Official website