The Black Essex Flag

The design, featuring three seaxes, is based on the Essex flag, which dates back to the 17th century. The traditional colours of white, gold and red have been replaced with a black-on-black design.  

James’ stated intention for her residency was to explore issues around the term ‘Essex Girl’, which historically references a white person. Prefixing the term with the word Black ‘seemed like a radical declaration that I felt compelled to unpack and explore,’ she has said.  

Following discussions with an intergenerational group of Black Essex residents, James conceived The Black Essex Flag and the film Black Girl Essex: Here We Come, Look We Here. Both were shown in the 2019 exhibition ‘Super Black’ at Firstsite. Her stated ambition for the flag is to encourage ‘Black communities to feel part of the Essex narrative’ and ‘shift the perceptions of the communities who live here’. 

James (featured in Art Quarterly summer 2021) studied at Chelsea College of Arts and Goldsmiths, London, and she has lived in Essex since 1999.  

The Black Essex Flag is the first work by a Black woman artist to be acquired by the Beecroft Art Gallery, marking an important step towards diversifying its permanent collection.