Ronald Moody: Voices from the Exhibition Opening
Ronald Moody: Sculpting Life has offered new perspectives on Moody’s legacy from those researching, preserving and responding to his work today. As we mark Black History Month, the opening speeches from Professor Emeritus Joan Anim-Addo and Kedisha Coakley offered perspectives on Moody’s significance as a pioneering Black British artist and on the ongoing work of ensuring that his story and art remains visible for future generations.
Ronald Moody: Voices from the Exhibition Opening
The exhibition opening was an opportunity to celebrate the life, work and legacy of one of the twentieth century’s most fascinating sculptors. Alongside the exhibition, guests heard from two speakers whose work offers powerful and complementary perspectives on Moody’s relevance today. Professor Emeritus Joan Anim-Addo from the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies (CCDS) at Goldsmiths, University of London, and artist, researcher and the exhibition’s co-curator Kedisha Coakley.
Art, Opportunity and a Caribbean Legacy
Representing the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies (CCDS) at Goldsmiths, Professor Emeritus Joan Anim-Addo reflected on Ronald Moody’s place within Caribbean history and the opportunities that shaped his artistic journey. Asking audiences to consider who gets the chance to become an artist, she said:
“In attempting to centre ‘artistic opportunity’ aligned with educational into the discussion, it might be illuminating to start with the here and now by considering how one might become an artist today in 2026. Beginning here in London, we’re likely to find that even today, becoming an artist – a visual artist – remains a somewhat obscure pursuit. Who gets to be an artist today? What does the process involve? Who among such artists can live or are living at present by the proceeds of their art?”
“With such questions in mind, let’s turn the clock back the better to glimpse the opportunity available to a child born – like young Moody – in the first year of the twentieth century, that is, in the 1900s Caribbean, only three generations after the ending of Atlantic slavery, an institution characterised by brutality; one that specifically denied the humanity of the black person. ”
Joan’s speech invited audiences to view Moody’s achievements within the wider context of Caribbean history, education and opportunity, celebrating both his individual talent and the broader contribution of Caribbean artists to British cultural life.
Read Joan’s full article:
Preserving a Legacy Through Care and Creativity
Artist, researcher and Collections Assistant at The Hepworth Wakefield, Kedisha Coakley spoke about her experience of encountering Ronald Moody first as an artist, and later through working closely with his archive. Reflecting on questions of memory, authorship and cultural inheritance, she said:
“Through my conversations with Ego, and through my own experience of working with this archive, I have become increasingly conscious of the importance of telling our own stories.”
“Who gets remembered? Who is allowed complexity? Who is written into the history of British art – and who is left at its edges?”
“These questions are not only about the past. They are about how we work now, and about the structures we create for the future. They ask us to consider who holds the authority to tell a story, whose knowledge is recognised, and whose labour makes remembrance possible.”
Kedisha also highlighted the importance of the people whose dedication has ensured Moody’s legacy survives today, including his niece, Cynthia Moody:
“Archives do not simply survive by accident. They are made and remade through relationships, decisions and repeated acts of care.”
“Behind the legacy of a celebrated artist, there is often someone writing the letters, keeping the records, remembering the dates and insisting that the work still matters.”
Read Kedisha’s full article:
Continuing the Conversation
During Black History Month, these reflections feel particularly timely and enduring. They remind us that histories are not fixed. They are shaped by artists, researchers, archivists, communities and organisations working together to ensure important stories are seen, heard and remembered.
We invite visitors to explore Ronald Moody: Sculpting Life and engage with the questions raised by both speakers. How cultural histories are preserved, whose voices are recognised and how artistic legacies continue to inspire new generations.
See more of our work on decolonisation and our collection.
Find out more
Learn more about Ronald Moody
Learn more about Professor Emeritus Joan Anim-Addo and the Centre for Caribbean and Diaspora Studies
Learn more about Kedisha Coakley