International Slavery Museum announces winning artist for commission

Digital sculptor Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark has been chosen to lead the artistic design of new iron panels for the International Slavery Museum’s entrance pavilion.

National Museums Liverpool has awarded Rayvenn a £30,000 commission following a competitive process that attracted more than 150 applicants. She will work alongside architects, engineers, fabricators and community partners to develop designs reflecting the histories and lived experiences represented in the museum.

The panels will form the outer surface of the new entrance pavilion, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, with planning permission granted in October 2024. The project will symbolically transform iron – once used in chains and restraints during the transatlantic slave trade – into a material representing remembrance and resilience.

The importance of the new entrance pavilion has also been recognised with a £200,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation to support construction.

Michelle Charters, Head of International Slavery Museum, said Rayvenn stood out for her creativity and collaborative approach.

She said the project would bring the artist to Liverpool to work closely with local communities on the designs and help create a lasting legacy as part of the museum’s transformation.

Rayvenn’s work focuses on socially engaged public art. Recent projects include Mother Vérité, unveiled in 2025, and Black Renaissance, a large-scale series of bronze sculptures installed at the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama.

She was also named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2024 and has received recognition from the Casting Metals Federation for technically challenging casting work.

Rayvenn said she was honoured to be selected for the project and described the International Slavery Museum as a place that brings important histories to life.

She said the commission reflects her commitment to using public art to support shared cultural memory and community storytelling.

The redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum is being led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and will carefully restore and adapt the Grade I-listed Hartley Pavilion and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building.

The International Slavery Museum is currently closed for redevelopment and is expected to reopen in 2029.

Find out more about how Anthony Walker’s legacy will create a new learning space in International Slavery Museum.

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