Zak Ové: Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness

07.09.2026 – 06.09.2027 | The Garden

An extraordinary assembly of thirteen imposing, monumental figures arrives in the historic garden at The Sherborne this autumn.

From Monday 7 September 2026, The Sherborne will present The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness (2016), a landmark installation by British Trinidadian artist Zak Ové.

Thirteen identical figures, each over two metres high, will stand together in a new formation created specifically for the garden. Appearing at once individual and collective, still and watchful, they form a peaceful assembly: a compelling presence that invites us to consider identity, visibility, power, resilience and belonging.

The work was first presented in the courtyard of Somerset House in 2016, where forty figures gathered as part of the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. It has since travelled internationally, taking on new meaning in each place it inhabits.

At The Sherborne, the figures enter into conversation with a very different setting. Placed within the grounds of a Grade I listed Georgian house, close to the border between Dorset and Somerset, the installation connects histories, landscapes and communities. Its arrival also marks a significant cultural moment as Sherborne looks ahead to becoming Dorset Town of Culture in 2027.

The installation explores the strength and resilience of the African diaspora. Its title refers to Ralph Ellison’s landmark novel Invisible Man and Ben Jonson’s Jacobean court entertainment The Masque of Blackness, first performed in 1605. Drawing upon the history of masking and masquerade, the work challenges the idea of the “invisible” Black presence. Repeated across the group, each figure becomes part of something larger: a gathering that feels resolute, dignified and quietly commanding.

The exhibition is co-curated by Liz Gilmore, CEO of The Sherborne, and Sir Robert Fry, former Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Sherborne House Trust 2018. It will remain on view for one year, ensuring that this internationally significant work is in place as Sherborne becomes Dorset Town of Culture 2027.

What you’ll see

Thirteen sculptural figures gathered in a powerful new formation
A peaceful assembly exploring identity, visibility and shared histories
Contemporary sculpture in conversation with The Sherborne’s historic garden
An installation that changes with the light, landscape and seasons
A landmark work by acclaimed British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové

About Zak Ové

Zak Ové was born in London in 1966 and is a British artist of Trinidadian heritage. Working across sculpture, film and photography, his practice explores identity, history, mythology, migration and the African diaspora. Ové draws upon African and Trinidadian traditions of masking and masquerade, particularly the cultural history of Caribbean Carnival, which he considers both a celebration and a form of resistance.

His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in major museum and private collections. Ové was the first Caribbean artist to have work permanently acquired for the British Museum’s African collection. In 2019, he curated the acclaimed Somerset House exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers, celebrating five decades of Black creativity in Britain and beyond.

A note on the peaceful assembly

First shown as a formation of forty figures at Somerset House in 2016, The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness takes on a different character each time it is installed.

At The Sherborne, thirteen figures gather not as an army, but as a peaceful force: watchful, dignified and resolute. Their presence connects borders, cultures and histories, opening a space for reflection on who is seen, who is remembered and how collective identity is formed.