Press
CULTURED MAGAZINE
“Eight years ago, the Baltimore native took a class at the New School called “The Art of Viewing Art,” which introduced her to New York’s gallery scene. Jack Shainman Gallery became a pilgrimage site. “I would go every week, even if the same show was up," she says. "It was the gallery in Chelsea [with the most] Black art and artists that I had seen at the time." Even while she working at the Wing (yes, that infamous employer), she began to sketch out her plan to spotlight the artists she surrounded herself with in her own space.”
The Guardian
The X-pression Series #1, 2023, Satchel Lee
Body & Soul is a collection of portraiture depicting the reclamation of the Black body, culture and space. The artists featured in this show capture moments of reclamation through photojournalism. It rises above the long and problematic history of Black bodies being seen predominately through the white male gaze in visual culture.
AnOther Mag
“Curated by Charlotte Jansen, Discovery is the experimental area of the fair, showing emerging photographers as well as works by artists yet to have gallery representation. Among the brilliant stands in this section is New York’s Cierra Britton gallery, which is exhibiting portraits by Kennedi Carter and Satchel Lee (daughter of Spike). Titled Body and Soul, the show centres the Black femme body in safe spaces during moments of intimacy and repose.”
i-D
“As we sit down for coffee at a cafe in Bed-Stuy, gallerist Cierra Britton, founder of her namesake roving gallery, is eager to show me an artwork. It is a textile piece called “Detention” by the artist Lex Marie, featuring large swaths of orange and khaki fabric. Upon closer inspection, the viewer learns these are prison uniforms, stitched together using rope belts to school uniforms previously worn by the artist’s son.”
Galerie
“A first-generation Guyanese-American artist living and working in Upstate New York, Amy Amalia explores issues of displacement and alienation in her expressively brushed figurative paintings on wood, acetate and prepared boards. On view in a booth shared by Superposition Gallery and Cierra Britton Gallery (a New York gallery dedicated to representing BIPOC womxn artists whose work contributes to the contemporary cultural dialogue), the artist’s black-and-white paintings of androgynous figures veiled by spiraling forms take us deep into the heart and souls of her repeated subject. “
Artsy Editorial
“This year, they’ve come full circle as the rising gallerists, who both run dynamic, nomadic programs, mount a joint booth dedicated to two promising young talents: Accra-based Naïla Opiangah, presented by Superposition, and New York–based Amy Amalia, presented by Cierra Britton Gallery.”
Essence
“Black creativity is everywhere, and no matter the moment, Black artists continue to document our history and manifest abundant visions of the future. Inspired by the artistic legacies of Lorraine Hansberry and Nina Simone, these 10 creative leaders under 30 are working to deepen the impact of Black cultural production across visual art, film, and beyond.”
Architectural Digest
“A few months later, I was scrolling Instagram and was captivated by a series of posts Cierra had just posted: warm golden yellow, piercing eyes, rich black, and the artist Amy Amalia, tagged,” Shanika shares. As she explored the artist, the connections seemed particularly kismet. Like Shanika, Amy is Guyanese-American and New York–based. “The work in her Black Sun series centers on this idea of self-reflection and soul alchemy, two things that resonate deeply with me,” Shanika explains.
Artnet News
“Cierra Britton, 26, is discussing why she decided to open her gallery, the only one of its kind in New York dedicated to representing BIPOC women artists. Her serendipitous story illustrates the power of being supported by a community and the ways in which chance meetings can change the trajectory of your life.”
Artsy Editorial
“Audacity, divine ordinance, and community helped 26-year-old Cierra Britton open her eponymous gallery this past September. Driven to represent and exhibit works by women of color, her space was an instant success.”
Artsy
“Being a part of the new generation of Black women in the arts means that I have an opportunity and obligation to create and share space with artists, in efforts to preserve and explore new thoughts, ideas, and experiences of our present moment. I believe this act of preservation and exploration will drive us into an expansive future full of opportunity that holds the culture at its core.” Full Article
Teen Vogue
“Exploring the issue of inclusivity at her first solo exhibition, curated by Cierra Britton, Harlem Ice: The Selects Folder, Nigerian Cameroonian New York–based photographer and former figure skater Flo Ngala displayed never-before-seen images highlighting Black girls on the ice..” Full Article
Essence
“For Britton, one of “Harlem Ice’s” goals is to also change perceptions about who can be a skater in a historically white sport…When you think of Black women, what do you think of ice skating? Do you put those two together? If not, why? Whether you come with that perspective or not, you will leave wanting to know the answer.” Full Article
The New York Amsterdam News
“Current FSH skaters and their parents were in attendance at the opening as well as people from different aspects of Ngala’s life and career. The exhibition, which was curated by Cierra Britton, features 20 of Ngala’s black-and-white images of FSH skaters, much of which she photographed while on the ice with the subjects.” Full Article
Realty Collective
“Not only does she meet with clients to suss out their taste, she shows them new art at each appointment, and even takes them to meet working artists. All with the intention of making art more personal and accessible to her clients. We wanted to get her thoughts on self-belief, navigating the curatorial world as a Person of Color, and how she spends with a conscience.” Full Article