Mmm, Gotta Try a Little Harder, It Could Be Sweet
2025-2026 Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, UK
The first major solo exhibition of Harold Offeh’s work in a UK institution, the exhibition explored two decades of his videos, performances and projects that have taken place across the world.
The exhibition title borrows lyrics from the 1994 Portishead song ‘It Could Be Sweet’, and reflects three sections of Offeh’s practice. The song was formational for Offeh, as he repeatedly listened to the song whilst studying an Art Foundation course at Middlesex University in 1995, resonating with the song’s desire for possibility and freedom.
The exhibition itself is broken up into these three sections. ‘Mmm’ is a sound work in the lobby between the two galleries, which can convey a range of emotions including desire, affirmation, curiosity. In Gallery One ‘Gotta Try a Little Harder’ explores the early years of Offeh’s practice, a period he refers to as one of experimentation, where he used his body as a medium for performance. In Gallery Two, ‘It Could Be Sweet’ explores hopeful desire for the future, charting Offeh’s social practice with community groups and young people, and incorporates themes of Afrofuturism.
Offeh draws from popular music, film and mainstream cultural trends to interrogate our acceptance of political, class, gender and racial models in society. Recently, his practice has approached themes of happiness, play and Afrofuturism through performance and collective live engagements. New participatory elements activated Kettle’s Yard’s galleries, drawing on the input of collaborators and communities through an energetic programme of performances, discussions and events.
Photos: Jo Underhill
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