Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Fine and Decorative Art and Design
Abstract
The Untold Art History of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition at the ICA is a prompt multisensory exhibition scheduled to open 15th April 2028 in celebration of World Art Day, at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, in London, UK. The exhibition critically utilises postcolonial frameworks to explore the dismissed decorative history of dental adornment and its influence on contemporary grill design today.
Through a limited chronological selection of physical objects, holographic projections, archival photographs, oral histories, and social media contributions; the exhibition co-narrates the history of dental adornment across four historical periods. These periods include Precolonial Traditions (14th-15th century); Colonial Evolutions (17th-18th century); The Emancipation Aesthetic in Black America (19th-20th century); and finally, Beyond the Contemporary (late 20th century - the present day). The exhibition seeks co-production partnerships as part of its co-narration strategy towards a more comprehensive re-telling of the contested histories presented in the selected objects. Desired exhibition partners include the National Museum of the Philippines, SPACE art studios in London, Tech Ilford, celebrity jewellery collector Pharrell Williams and an art and design university institution to foster work placement opportunities.
Recommended Citation
Opuama, Helena, "The Untold Art History of Grillz: An Introduction Exhibition at the ICA" (2026). MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design Dissertations. 7.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_fine_ad/7