Harold Offeh: Mmm Gotta Try a Little Harder, It Could Be Sweet
15 November 2025 – 1 March 2026, 11am – 5pm
The first major solo exhibition of Harold Offeh’s work in a UK institution, this exhibition explored two decades of the artist’s videos, performances and projects that had taken place across the world.
For more than twenty years, Offeh (b. 1977, Ghana) has been making playful, provocative performance and video works that explore subjects ranging from pop culture to identity and conformity.
Offeh’s show blares and jostles with life
– ★★★★ THE GUARDIAN .
Offeh draws from popular music, film and mainstream cultural trends to interrogate our acceptance of political, class, gender and racial models in society. His practice has also 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.
Visitor Feedback.
Creative, colourful and sublime
A very thought-provoking exhibition about performance art
Excellent curation, thought provoking, exciting and interactive
It’s absolutely brilliant. One of the most inspiring exhibitions ever!
It was such a varied and thought-provoking exhibition.
About Harold Offeh
Harold Offeh is an artist working in a range of media including performance, video, photography, learning and social arts practice. Offeh is interested in the space created by the inhabiting or embodying of histories. He employs humour as a means to confront the viewer with historical narratives and contemporary culture. He has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally including Tate Britain and Tate Modern, South London Gallery, Turf Projects, London, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, Wysing Art Centre, Studio Museum Harlem, New York, MAC VAL, France, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Denmark and Art Tower Mito,
He studied Critical Fine Art Practice at The University of Brighton, MA Fine Art Photography at the Royal College of Art and recently completed a PhD by practice exploring the activation of Black Album covers through durational performance. He lives in Cambridge and works in London, UK. He previously held the role of Reader in Fine Art at Leeds Beckett University and was a visiting tutor at Goldsmiths College and The Slade School of Art, UCL, London. He is currently a tutor in MA Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art.
Visual Story
Visual Story
In this handy guide, discover what visitors could expect to see on their visit to Harold Offeh: Mmm, Gotta Try a Little Harder, It Could Be Sweet, and explore the different sensory elements of the exhibition.
Find out more
Discover Our Playlist Inspired by Harold Offeh's Exhibition
To celebrate Harold Offeh’s exhibition Mmm, Gotta Try a Little Harder, It Could Be Sweet, our staff team curated a playlist inspired by the exhibition’s themes of play and imagination. In the spirit of Offeh’s exhibition, dancing is highly encouraged!
7 Things to Know About Harold Offeh's Exhibition
In this blog post, discover key themes and ideas explored in the exhibition, including the music and films which inspired Offeh’s art.
Gallery
Exhibition Film
This exhibition has been kindly supported by
Royal College of Art’s Research and Knowledge Exchange Dissemination Fund
Mmm Gotta Try a Little Harder, It Could Be Sweet Supporters Circle:
Carol Atack and Alex van Someren
Emma Davis
Penny Heath
Sabine Jaccaud
Nicki and Christie Marrian
And all those who choose to remain anonymous
PAINT SPONSOR:
Access
- The galleries, where exhibitions are shown, and all areas of the Clore Learning Studio (level -1), the Research Space (level 1) and the Ede Room (level 2) are fully accessible.
- We have wheelchair accessible toilets on the lower ground (level -1), ground and first floor (level 1).
- In this exhibition, there are sound works in the galleries. There is also a sound work in the lobby between the two galleries, and this can be heard throughout the Welcome Area. There is a quiet space available on the second floor.
- There is a lift giving access to all floors located past the galleries, just beside the Clore Learning Studio on the ground floor.
- Kettle’s Yard welcomes assistance and service dogs in all areas.
- We have large-print versions of the wall text available.
- We can lend visitors small folding seats for taking around exhibitions or using at non-seated events. Please ask a Visitor Assistant for help finding a seat.
