Donald Rodney, In the House of My Father, 1997, Photograph123 × 153 cm. Image © The Donald Rodney Estate.
Donald Rodney, Autoicon 1997–2000 CD ROM, digitally transferred dimensions variable. Image © The Donald Rodney Estate.
Donald Rodney, Photographs with hand tinted black background used to produce the slide tapework Cataract 1991 Photos: Viv Reiss Courtesy The Estate of Donald Rodney. Photo: Frederic Griffiths.
Donald Rodney, Psalms (1997) and Cataract(1991) Installation view in ‘Donald Rodney: VisceralCanker’, Spike Island, Bristol, 2024. Photo: Lisa Whiting
Tickets available
12 Feb 2025 - 4 May 2025
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 11am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 11am–6pm |
| Thursday | 11am–9pm |
| Friday | 11am–6pm |
| Saturday | 11am–6pm |
| Sunday | 11am–6pm |
Whitechapel Gallery is committed to making all of our exhibitions as accessible as possible for every visitor. Please contact access@whitechapelgallery.org if you would like to discuss a particular request and we will gladly discuss with you the best way to accommodate it.
For complete access information about the gallery, please visit here.
★★★★ – The Observer
★★★★ – The Guardian
Following acclaimed presentations at both Spike Island (Bristol) and Nottingham Contemporary (Nottingham), Whitechapel Gallery brings this major survey exhibition of the late British multi-media artist Donald Rodney (b.1961, West Bromwich; d.1998, London) to London.
Visceral Canker encompasses the majority of Rodney’s surviving works from 1982 to 1997 including large-scale oil pastels on X-rays, kinetic and animatronic sculptures as well as his sketchbooks and rare archival materials. The exhibition showcases the extraordinary breadth and influence of Rodney’s work, confirming him as a vital figure in British art, and introducing him to a new generation of audiences.
Rodney experimented with new materials and technologies throughout his all too brief career. Working across sculpture, installation, drawing, painting and digital media, Rodney’s wide-ranging practice resists simple categorisation both thematically and materially, due to his innovative approach to both mediums and technical processes.
Rodney lived with sickle cell anaemia and harnessed the condition to confront the prejudices and injustices surrounding racial identity, Black masculinity, chronic illness and Britain’s colonial past. At his untimely death in 1998 from complications arising from sickle cell, Rodney left a multifaceted and influential body of work which has influenced artists, writers and filmmakers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Read the full exhibition press release.
Content guidance: This exhibition references experiences of racism and contains racist language and images. It references blood and medical treatment. Please contact us for more information.
Donald Rodney (b. 1961, West Bromwich; d. 1998, London) was a British artist. He was born to Jamaican parents, and grew up in Smethwick, on the outskirts of Birmingham. He studied Art Foundation at Bournville School of Art, Birmingham (1980–81); BA Fine Art at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham (1981–85); and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Multi-Media Fine Art at Slade School of Fine Art in London (1987). Rodney first gained visibility as a member of the BLK Art Group in the early 1980s, through a series of exhibitions titled The Pan-Afrikan Connection (1981–84). Rodney’s solo exhibitions include Reimagining Donald Rodney, Vivid Projects, Birmingham (2016); Donald Rodney – In Retrospect, iniva, London (2008); 9 Night in Eldorado, South London Gallery (1997); Cataract, Camerawork, London (1991); Critical, Rochdale Art Gallery (1990); Crisis, Chisenhale Gallery, London (1989); The First White Christmas & Other Empire Stories, Saltley Print and Media, Birmingham (1985); and The Atrocity Exhibition & Other Empire Stories, Black Art Gallery, London (1986). Rodney’s work is in the collections of Tate Gallery, London; Arts Council England; the British Council; the Government Art Collection; Museums Sheffield; the National Galleries of Wales; South London Gallery; Wolverhampton Art Gallery; and Birmingham City Art Gallery.
Doublethinking AIThu 20 Feb, 6.30–8pmA panel discussion with Ramon Amaro, Maya Indira Ganesh and Kerry McInerney
Audio Description Tour: Donald RodneyThu 6 Mar, 6.30–8pmAn exhibition tour for blind and partially sighted audiences
Whitechapel Lates: Black Obsidian Sound SystemThu 20 Mar, 6–10pmJoin collective and sound system B.O.S.S. for a specially curated Whitechapel Late featuring music, conversation and more.
Relaxed Hours: Donald RodneyTue 25 Mar, 10am–12pmA chance to enjoy the exhibition in a quieter, calmer environment
Big Ideas: Caleb Femi in conversation with Rohan AyindeThu 27 Mar, 6.30–8pmA discussion on Black masculinity with two acclaimed creative practitioners
What Lies Beneath the Surface: on Donald Rodney & the politics of the bodyThu 10 Apr, 6.30–8pmA panel discussion with Virginia Nimarkoh, Jamila Prowse, Jameisha Prescod and Alinta Sara
BSL Tour: Donald RodneyThu 17 Apr, 6.30–7.30pmAn exhibition tour in British Sign Language led by Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq
Dance Your Grief with Camille Sapara BartonThu 1 May, 6–8.30pmA workshop exploring how dance can support noticing grief in our bodies and allowing it to shift or release
For booking details, please see our website or ask at the front desk
Donald Rodney: Visceral Canker has been generously supported by
Weston Loan Programme with Art FundHenry Moore FoundationPaul Mellon Centre for Studies in British ArtPilgrim Trust
With thanks to:West of England Visual Arts Alliance
The exhibition is presented in partnership with Nottingham Contemporary, Spike Island and Whitechapel Gallery.
