Westminster Photography BA Honours alumna Amber Pinkerton has had six of her images acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) for her significant contributions to contemporary photography.
The acquisition was supported by the Banwell Global Africa Fund and recognises Amber’s distinctive voice in contemporary photography, particularly her contributions to discussions on feminist autotheory and postcolonial thought.
Born in Jamaica in 1997, Amber graduated with a Photography BA Honours degree from the University of Westminster in 2023. She has exhibited internationally throughout the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany and the United States.
Her recent institutional exhibitions include Female View: Female Fashion Photographers from Modernity to the Digital Age at Kunsthalle St Annen in Germany, and Black Venus, which toured Fotografiska in New York, The Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco and Somerset House in London.
Her works will be accessible to the public through the V&A's collections and by request in their prints and drawings study room. The acquired works include Self Portrait I: Self Dialogues, 2022, Self Portrait II: Self Dialogues, 2022, Self Portrait III: Self Dialogues, 2022 Lost and Found II: Self Dialogues Hard Food, 2022, tobacco was never in stock: Women at Work, Maryland, 2021, and An equal race: Women at Work, Maryland, 2021.
Amber said: “This achievement is a deep honour that has come earlier than anticipated. When I decided to enrol on the Photography course at Westminster, I was very aware that I had a void in terms of my photographic history and knowledge of the subject, despite loving it in practice. The course and the tutors completely expanded my perspective on the medium— and have contributed to the deep love and appreciation I hold for the field today. They introduced me to new possibilities and ways of thinking. It was exactly what I needed at the right time in my career, and an invaluable experience."
Amber’s work directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5: Gender Equality and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about the Photography BA Honours course at the University of Westminster.
Photo credits: Amber Pinkerton, V&A Collection
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