Discover the overlooked presence of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe at a special screening of Fred Kudjo Kuwornu’s acclaimed documentary, We Were Here.
Through artworks, archival research and conversations with leading scholars, the film challenges long-held assumptions about the Renaissance.
It reveals the diverse roles Black people held across Renaissance society, including as courtiers, diplomats, religious figures, merchants and patrons.
Following the screening, director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu will be joined in conversation by art historian, author and broadcaster Leslie Primo and historian and author Dr Miranda Kaufmann.
Together, they will explore the film’s themes through works in the National Gallery’s collection. The discussion will consider how artists represented Black figures, what these artworks reveal about cultural exchange and identity in Renaissance Europe, and how museums are reassessing histories that have often been overlooked.
This thought-provoking evening offers an opportunity to look again at familiar masterpieces, uncover hidden histories and reflect on how art shapes our understanding of both the past and the present.
About Fred Kudjo Kuwornu
Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Afro-Italian artist, filmmaker, curator and scholar based in New York. His work explores race and identity by bringing archival material into conversation with the present.
His films have been shown at museums, international film festivals and the 60th Venice Art Biennale. In 2025, he received a Folger Shakespeare Library Fellowship and the Dan David Prize for his contribution to public history and cultural memory through film.
About Leslie Primo
Leslie Primo is an independent art historian, author and broadcaster specialising in Renaissance art. He lectured at the National Gallery for 18 years and has contributed to television programmes, books and research exploring Black presence in European art.
About Dr Miranda Kaufmann
Dr Miranda Kaufmann is a historian and the author of Black Tudors: The Untold Story. Her research has helped bring the lives of Africans living in Tudor England to a wider audience through books, public history projects and education.
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