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Peckham Library |
Birungi Kawooya is a collage artist and teacher inspired by nature, the beauty of Black women and the ingenuity of dance from the African diaspora using batik, paper and paint. Her portraits celebrate Black womanhood, elevating rest, joy and wellbeing. Nostalgia and family also inform her practice, from memories of kitchen discos with her siblings and Kiganda dancers at weddings. She creates art she wants to see more of in the world and therefore her primary theme is depicting Black women, usually with flawless jet-Black skin. Birungi seeks to elevate Black women so that they can see themselves as works of art and gain self-esteem. In 2020 she reflected on how Black women are pivotal in leading social justice movements and decided to focus on compelling Black women to protect their dream space with the “Sisters Need Sleep” collection. Birungi’s art explores movement through paper silhouettes illuminated by Ugandan batik textiles which connect the dance pieces to her heritage. Her work is often infused with the lush plant life such as tropical flowers and matooke (banana) trees which are common in Uganda and are referenced in the Josephine Baker collection.
Birungi Kawooya is a collage artist and teacher inspired by nature, the beauty of Black women and the ingenuity of dance from the African diaspora using batik, paper and paint. Her portraits celebrate Black womanhood, elevating rest, joy and wellbeing. Nostalgia and family also inform her practice, from memories of kitchen discos with her siblings and Kiganda dancers at weddings. She creates art she wants to see more of in the world and therefore her primary theme is depicting Black women, usually with flawless jet-Black skin. Birungi seeks to elevate Black women so that they can see themselves as works of art and gain self-esteem. In 2020 she reflected on how Black women are pivotal in leading social justice movements and decided to focus on compelling Black women to protect their dream space with the “Sisters Need Sleep” collection. Birungi’s art explores movement through paper silhouettes illuminated by Ugandan batik textiles which connect the dance pieces to her heritage. Her work is often infused with the lush plant life such as tropical flowers and matooke (banana) trees which are common in Uganda and are referenced in the Josephine Baker collection.
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Leathermarket Gardens |
Jasmine Thomas-Girvan was born in1961 in Jamaica and has lived in Trinidad since 2000. A sculptor, trained in jewellery and textile design, she received her BFA from Parsons School of Design in New York.
https://www.jasminethomasgirvan.com/
Jasmine Thomas-Girvan was born in1961 in Jamaica and has lived in Trinidad since 2000. A sculptor, trained in jewellery and textile design, she received her BFA from Parsons School of Design in New York.
https://www.jasminethomasgirvan.com/
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Guy Street Park |
Water has been the conduit of oppression and displacement for millions of enslaved African peoples. Vast oceans have also been witness to the deaths of many of those lives as they sunk to their deaths in water’s formless grave. The thought of using water came to me from watching a television clip of a rushing river. Water has played a large part in the world's history.
It is an essential part of our existence and affects all of us. I thought, ‘What if the oceans could talk to us? What stories would they tell?’ They would be an impartial witness and narrator to the world's history. There is a belief by some scientists and researchers that water holds memory.
How might that be affected by all the millions of enslaved African peoples who lost their lives at sea? Most of our bodies are water. We are all part of that shared eternal cycle of death and renewal.
The teardrop is a symbol of the many tears that have been shed: are still being shed and for the many tears that will be shed in both despair and joy for our shared humanity.
Susan Thompson is an abstract painter based at Kindred Studios, London. Her interest in art started in childhood. Although she has spent the majority of her working life nursing;she has always made taken time to engage in some form of art making and further education. This has included completing an Art Foundation Course at the Camberwell School of Art in 1984, an Art Therapy Postgraduate Diploma at Goldsmiths College in 1990 and more recently, a BA Hons Fine Art Degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2014.
Water has been the conduit of oppression and displacement for millions of enslaved African peoples. Vast oceans have also been witness to the deaths of many of those lives as they sunk to their deaths in water’s formless grave. The thought of using water came to me from watching a television clip of a rushing river. Water has played a large part in the world's history.
It is an essential part of our existence and affects all of us. I thought, ‘What if the oceans could talk to us? What stories would they tell?’ They would be an impartial witness and narrator to the world's history. There is a belief by some scientists and researchers that water holds memory.
How might that be affected by all the millions of enslaved African peoples who lost their lives at sea? Most of our bodies are water. We are all part of that shared eternal cycle of death and renewal.
The teardrop is a symbol of the many tears that have been shed: are still being shed and for the many tears that will be shed in both despair and joy for our shared humanity.
Susan Thompson is an abstract painter based at Kindred Studios, London. Her interest in art started in childhood. Although she has spent the majority of her working life nursing;she has always made taken time to engage in some form of art making and further education. This has included completing an Art Foundation Course at the Camberwell School of Art in 1984, an Art Therapy Postgraduate Diploma at Goldsmiths College in 1990 and more recently, a BA Hons Fine Art Degree at Oxford Brookes University in 2014.
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Borough Yards |
My design for the theme Stolen Legacy: Rebirth of a Nation will hopefully encourage the viewer to question their perspective on the history of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans.
I wanted to depict society being physically 'held' by the hands of an enslaved person, saying 'Don't forget us, our sacrifice is at the very soul of the society of which you are a part.' I want to highlight the fact that our nation was created out of suffering and revisit the misplaced legacy towards the slave traders who benefitted from the barbaric treatment of the people they traded.
Mosaic itself is diverse by its very nature. Using glass, pottery, ceramic tile, mirror and vintage crockery, I have included buildings in the cityscape which have specific and direct links to the slave trade including Speke Hall, Bristol Old Vic, Guinea Street and The Georgian House. The hands of the slave are edged in spent bullet casings to encourage the onlooker to consider the suffering and sacrifice made by the thousands of lives that were traded and disregarded...this globe is for them. To honour and remember exactly who built our society.
Together we can look back and relearn history from another perspective in order to understand the generational effect slavery has had on our ancestors and in turn, improve our future. May we always remember the roots of the foundation of society for it has blood running through its veins. Hand Model - With thanks to Nathan Oladipo.
Alison Turner is a professional mosaic artist known for her quirky approach to mosaic art. She creates artwork for gallery exhibitions, private collections and public installations. Describing herself as an “Artistic Recycler” Alison sets stone next to broken pottery, discarded ceramics next to glass thus creating eclectic work that will be admired for years to come.
My design for the theme Stolen Legacy: Rebirth of a Nation will hopefully encourage the viewer to question their perspective on the history of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans.
I wanted to depict society being physically 'held' by the hands of an enslaved person, saying 'Don't forget us, our sacrifice is at the very soul of the society of which you are a part.' I want to highlight the fact that our nation was created out of suffering and revisit the misplaced legacy towards the slave traders who benefitted from the barbaric treatment of the people they traded.
Mosaic itself is diverse by its very nature. Using glass, pottery, ceramic tile, mirror and vintage crockery, I have included buildings in the cityscape which have specific and direct links to the slave trade including Speke Hall, Bristol Old Vic, Guinea Street and The Georgian House. The hands of the slave are edged in spent bullet casings to encourage the onlooker to consider the suffering and sacrifice made by the thousands of lives that were traded and disregarded...this globe is for them. To honour and remember exactly who built our society.
Together we can look back and relearn history from another perspective in order to understand the generational effect slavery has had on our ancestors and in turn, improve our future. May we always remember the roots of the foundation of society for it has blood running through its veins. Hand Model - With thanks to Nathan Oladipo.
Alison Turner is a professional mosaic artist known for her quirky approach to mosaic art. She creates artwork for gallery exhibitions, private collections and public installations. Describing herself as an “Artistic Recycler” Alison sets stone next to broken pottery, discarded ceramics next to glass thus creating eclectic work that will be admired for years to come.
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Oxo Wharf Courtyard |
A journey of resistance, we tell the story of the revolution in Saint Lucia. Hundreds of enslaved men, women and children unified in defense of their freedom, fighting against the system of British slavery. So strong was this unified resistance, that many freedom fighters joined their comrades on neighbouring islands in solidarity; several islands in the 1790s were ablaze with the fire and fury of freedom.
Vastly mountainous and filled with emerald rainforests, during the revolution of the 1790s, Saint Lucia’s enslaved community rose up in revolt, forming a community of self-liberated African and Caribbean born people who lived in secret enclaves in the impenetrable forests. Called the N èg Mawon, these men and women fought fiercely and heroically in the face of the British army, who tried to suppress, pacify and re-enslave them. ‘Liberte ou la mort’ (Liberty or Death), was the call of the N èg Mawon, as the conch shell blew across the mountains, and the British Army was defeated under the fire and fury of the N èg Mawon.
Enslavement and sugar were the incentives for the British to reinvade Saint Lucia after many months of celebrated freedom, and many men, women and children who fought for their freedom were taken as prisoners of war to Porchester Castle, Portsmouth. Some died along the way in the murky waters of the British coastline – their souls carried home by ancestral spirits.
Today we honour the N èg Mawon; their fire, fury and fight for freedom. The globe was created as a collaboration between two Saint Lucian artists – Hailey Gonzales and Fiona Compton.
Fiona Compton is a London based Saint Lucian photographer, artist, filmmaker and historian. After graduating from London College of Printing in 2005 with a BA in photography, Fiona has been working as a professional photographer, working for the UK’s largest publishing houses, travelling between the UK and Europe to photograph some of the most influential figures in the world of Finance and Banking. Over the past 13 years her work has explored the various disparities in representation of the Afro Caribbean diaspora within art and mainstream media. In 2017 she launched her multi disciplinary project ‘The Revolution of the Fairytale’ which celebrates lesser known heroes from Black History under the nostalgic platform of well known fairy tales. Fiona remains a strong advocate for her history and culture and is an Official Ambassador for London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the second largest street festival in the world.
A journey of resistance, we tell the story of the revolution in Saint Lucia. Hundreds of enslaved men, women and children unified in defense of their freedom, fighting against the system of British slavery. So strong was this unified resistance, that many freedom fighters joined their comrades on neighbouring islands in solidarity; several islands in the 1790s were ablaze with the fire and fury of freedom.
Vastly mountainous and filled with emerald rainforests, during the revolution of the 1790s, Saint Lucia’s enslaved community rose up in revolt, forming a community of self-liberated African and Caribbean born people who lived in secret enclaves in the impenetrable forests. Called the N èg Mawon, these men and women fought fiercely and heroically in the face of the British army, who tried to suppress, pacify and re-enslave them. ‘Liberte ou la mort’ (Liberty or Death), was the call of the N èg Mawon, as the conch shell blew across the mountains, and the British Army was defeated under the fire and fury of the N èg Mawon.
Enslavement and sugar were the incentives for the British to reinvade Saint Lucia after many months of celebrated freedom, and many men, women and children who fought for their freedom were taken as prisoners of war to Porchester Castle, Portsmouth. Some died along the way in the murky waters of the British coastline – their souls carried home by ancestral spirits.
Today we honour the N èg Mawon; their fire, fury and fight for freedom. The globe was created as a collaboration between two Saint Lucian artists – Hailey Gonzales and Fiona Compton.
Fiona Compton is a London based Saint Lucian photographer, artist, filmmaker and historian. After graduating from London College of Printing in 2005 with a BA in photography, Fiona has been working as a professional photographer, working for the UK’s largest publishing houses, travelling between the UK and Europe to photograph some of the most influential figures in the world of Finance and Banking. Over the past 13 years her work has explored the various disparities in representation of the Afro Caribbean diaspora within art and mainstream media. In 2017 she launched her multi disciplinary project ‘The Revolution of the Fairytale’ which celebrates lesser known heroes from Black History under the nostalgic platform of well known fairy tales. Fiona remains a strong advocate for her history and culture and is an Official Ambassador for London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the second largest street festival in the world.
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Emma Cons Gardens |
The complex triangular movement of material goods and enslaved labour between Europe, Africa and the Americas enriched colonial empires. The ghost of that movement exists today, echoing the same economic manipulation of resources. Throughout this movement of resources from the southern to the northern hemisphere, cultures have been dismantled and destroyed; their ritualised customs denied and demonised. And their most sacred artefacts that embodied cultural identity have been removed as booty, and through other unjust means.
Interpreting the theme, A Complex Triangle, this idea is narrated through colour, symbols and historical icons which comprise the content of the globe entitled The Longitude Of Culture.
Gold dominates the colour palette, signifying our precious planet and the gold that motivated Europeans to explore Africa in their thirst for riches and knowledge. Within the traditional cultures of Africa, symbols and motifs have always been used to document the changing historical narrative. Pulling from those traditions I have created my globe.
Overlapping symbols, colours and shapes help convey the complex timeline linking the past to the present. Born out of the idea of the Adinkra symbol, ‘Mpatapo’ depicts the knot with no beginning or end – representing peace after conflict, emulating that unbroken line of connection. The recognisable slave ship, the gun, the lion, the plane, the Black Star to Garvey, the aised fist synonymous with the Black power movement and now Black Lives Matter, all have become icons of resistance against white supremacy.
With the call for the return of many cultures’ most precious artefacts, it is only right that African spiritual belief systems be recognised and acknowledged as justified frameworks through which we see the world and its history. The flow of knowledge from those indigenous cultures along the lines of longitude into Western culture has, and can, add to the discussions of our future world.
COLOUR CODE:
Gold: Richness of our cultural inheritance and the main colour of the globe, representing the wealth along the Gold Coast – wealth that brought economic stability to those foreign cultures, but also drove the greed of Europeans and destruction of Africa’s cultures.
White: Closely associated with sugar, that sweetness which compelled Europeans, and committed hundreds of thousands to a life of enslaved labour to satisfy the taste buds of so few. Whiteness also fuels the concept of superiority and imposition of colonialists' religion on their subjects.
Grey: The colour of iron from Europe used to trade with Africa. A material that became the main contributor to wars through the development of arms creating a devastating advantage in the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and its use to dominate Africa.
Copper: A natural material found in Africa played a major role in assisting the process of enslavement. Copper sheeting used on hulls reduced the weight of the ships transporting the enslaved human cargo, shortening the journey time across the Atlantic and reducing the number of slaves that died, improving the efficiency of this brutal economy.
Although a second-generation West Indian who grew up in London, Alvin Kofi’s creative perspective is very much African-centred and he seeks to explore, learn and celebrate the traditional notions of African culture. From his formative years he has studied and practised African cosmology and this is evident in his work. Kofi studied graphic design at art school, but his preferred choice of expression is painting, and his preferred use of narrative, the human form. His figurative paintings re-examine universal themes through the Black figure drawing from ancient mythological stories that still have relevance today. Exploring these theme’s he plays with the representation of ideas which we hold on to layered with motifs and symbols that allow us to interrogate what we believe. Kofi is a multi-disciplined artist working in mediums across the public and private sector producing installations to sculptures but concentrates his practice around the expression of painting. Whichever medium he is using, his approach is to get back to materials that are authentic and organic to the conversation or question being had in the process. Alvin was a finalist in the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Award 2020, and he is one of the Highly Commended artists participating in the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize 2021 online exhibition of long-listed artists.
The complex triangular movement of material goods and enslaved labour between Europe, Africa and the Americas enriched colonial empires. The ghost of that movement exists today, echoing the same economic manipulation of resources. Throughout this movement of resources from the southern to the northern hemisphere, cultures have been dismantled and destroyed; their ritualised customs denied and demonised. And their most sacred artefacts that embodied cultural identity have been removed as booty, and through other unjust means.
Interpreting the theme, A Complex Triangle, this idea is narrated through colour, symbols and historical icons which comprise the content of the globe entitled The Longitude Of Culture.
Gold dominates the colour palette, signifying our precious planet and the gold that motivated Europeans to explore Africa in their thirst for riches and knowledge. Within the traditional cultures of Africa, symbols and motifs have always been used to document the changing historical narrative. Pulling from those traditions I have created my globe.
Overlapping symbols, colours and shapes help convey the complex timeline linking the past to the present. Born out of the idea of the Adinkra symbol, ‘Mpatapo’ depicts the knot with no beginning or end – representing peace after conflict, emulating that unbroken line of connection. The recognisable slave ship, the gun, the lion, the plane, the Black Star to Garvey, the aised fist synonymous with the Black power movement and now Black Lives Matter, all have become icons of resistance against white supremacy.
With the call for the return of many cultures’ most precious artefacts, it is only right that African spiritual belief systems be recognised and acknowledged as justified frameworks through which we see the world and its history. The flow of knowledge from those indigenous cultures along the lines of longitude into Western culture has, and can, add to the discussions of our future world.
COLOUR CODE:
Gold: Richness of our cultural inheritance and the main colour of the globe, representing the wealth along the Gold Coast – wealth that brought economic stability to those foreign cultures, but also drove the greed of Europeans and destruction of Africa’s cultures.
White: Closely associated with sugar, that sweetness which compelled Europeans, and committed hundreds of thousands to a life of enslaved labour to satisfy the taste buds of so few. Whiteness also fuels the concept of superiority and imposition of colonialists' religion on their subjects.
Grey: The colour of iron from Europe used to trade with Africa. A material that became the main contributor to wars through the development of arms creating a devastating advantage in the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and its use to dominate Africa.
Copper: A natural material found in Africa played a major role in assisting the process of enslavement. Copper sheeting used on hulls reduced the weight of the ships transporting the enslaved human cargo, shortening the journey time across the Atlantic and reducing the number of slaves that died, improving the efficiency of this brutal economy.
Although a second-generation West Indian who grew up in London, Alvin Kofi’s creative perspective is very much African-centred and he seeks to explore, learn and celebrate the traditional notions of African culture. From his formative years he has studied and practised African cosmology and this is evident in his work. Kofi studied graphic design at art school, but his preferred choice of expression is painting, and his preferred use of narrative, the human form. His figurative paintings re-examine universal themes through the Black figure drawing from ancient mythological stories that still have relevance today. Exploring these theme’s he plays with the representation of ideas which we hold on to layered with motifs and symbols that allow us to interrogate what we believe. Kofi is a multi-disciplined artist working in mediums across the public and private sector producing installations to sculptures but concentrates his practice around the expression of painting. Whichever medium he is using, his approach is to get back to materials that are authentic and organic to the conversation or question being had in the process. Alvin was a finalist in the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Award 2020, and he is one of the Highly Commended artists participating in the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize 2021 online exhibition of long-listed artists.
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Old Paradise Gardens |
My design came into being during the course of my studies, when I became aware of the extent to which institutional racism persists in the UK, and more specifically, its prevalence within the criminal justice system. I wanted the globe to depict the weight of racial injustice by creating a heavy earth and stone base on which to build a narrative.
Circling this barren foundation, the chains contribute to the weight of oppression, and represent continued restriction, restraint and subjugation. The roots serve two purposes, depicting both cultural roots and heritage, but also deep-rooted racism, branching through the earth to hold the chains in place. While the origins of the design idea came from my bewilderment that discrimination continues to occur in the twenty-first century, I did not want my design to be entirely dispiriting and bleak.
By illuminating entrenched racial injustice – represented by the brightness shining through cracked earth – awareness will increase and new ground will be broken.
Gail has been a self-employed artist for around 10 years, but has enjoyed various aspects of art for most of her life. The bulk of her workload is split between painting for several galleries, and commissions which have been wide and varied in theme from album cover art to commercial illustration. She has had paintings commissioned from clients in the USA, Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK. A great deal of her work is narrative in style, as she believes art should be more than just media on a support – there are always visual stories to tell.
My design came into being during the course of my studies, when I became aware of the extent to which institutional racism persists in the UK, and more specifically, its prevalence within the criminal justice system. I wanted the globe to depict the weight of racial injustice by creating a heavy earth and stone base on which to build a narrative.
Circling this barren foundation, the chains contribute to the weight of oppression, and represent continued restriction, restraint and subjugation. The roots serve two purposes, depicting both cultural roots and heritage, but also deep-rooted racism, branching through the earth to hold the chains in place. While the origins of the design idea came from my bewilderment that discrimination continues to occur in the twenty-first century, I did not want my design to be entirely dispiriting and bleak.
By illuminating entrenched racial injustice – represented by the brightness shining through cracked earth – awareness will increase and new ground will be broken.
Gail has been a self-employed artist for around 10 years, but has enjoyed various aspects of art for most of her life. The bulk of her workload is split between painting for several galleries, and commissions which have been wide and varied in theme from album cover art to commercial illustration. She has had paintings commissioned from clients in the USA, Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK. A great deal of her work is narrative in style, as she believes art should be more than just media on a support – there are always visual stories to tell.
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Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens |
Vashti Harrison is a #1 New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator of children’s books. She has a background in filmmaking and a love for storytelling. She is the author and illustrator of the best-selling middle grade books Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, Little Legends, and the illustrator of the best-selling picture books Hair Love by Matthew Cherry and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, which received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. Vashti is also a two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children. Originally from Onley, Virginia, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Vashti Harrison is a #1 New York Times-bestselling author-illustrator of children’s books. She has a background in filmmaking and a love for storytelling. She is the author and illustrator of the best-selling middle grade books Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, Little Legends, and the illustrator of the best-selling picture books Hair Love by Matthew Cherry and Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, which received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. Vashti is also a two-time recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children. Originally from Onley, Virginia, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Stockwell Station |
My globe design is a celebration of the style and dress of Black people in Britain over the last half century; since the Windrush Generation, one of the first large groups of post-war Caribbean migrants to the UK in the 1950s. It is a visual snapshot depicting six cultural turning points over this period; Calypso, Reggae, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Jungle and Grime. These musical genres and their respective dress codes reflected the social and political ideals of the day.
A broad range of expression included our desire to be seen in a hostile environment, Black consciousness or symbols of wealth and status. Despite not always receiving the reverence it deserved and dismissed in recent times as materialistic or frivolous, Black British music and style continues to permeate mainstream British culture at the highest levels. Personal style is a reflection of lifestyle.
Our style is a nuanced expression of identity that draws from the melting pot of rich British and diasporic influences. As our styles continue to evolve, what is constant is our desire to express pride, strength and a commitment to making something out of nothing.
Dreph is a visual artist working across a wide range of media. With a focus on portraiture and painting the human figure, Dreph’s subjects are everyday people, friends, family or those he meets whilst painting in the streets. With exploration of colour and an attention to sartorial detail, he uses his work to tell his subjects stories. He is inspired as much by 80s British sci-fi comics and New York subway art as he is the old masters. Dreph is passionate about the cultural and creative exchange that can be shared whilst travelling and this has profoundly informed his practice. After 3 decades of street based painting, Dreph’s work can be found in Asia, Africa, the UAE, Central, South and North America and throughout Europe. Dreph is an Illustration lecturer at Portsmouth University.
My globe design is a celebration of the style and dress of Black people in Britain over the last half century; since the Windrush Generation, one of the first large groups of post-war Caribbean migrants to the UK in the 1950s. It is a visual snapshot depicting six cultural turning points over this period; Calypso, Reggae, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Jungle and Grime. These musical genres and their respective dress codes reflected the social and political ideals of the day.
A broad range of expression included our desire to be seen in a hostile environment, Black consciousness or symbols of wealth and status. Despite not always receiving the reverence it deserved and dismissed in recent times as materialistic or frivolous, Black British music and style continues to permeate mainstream British culture at the highest levels. Personal style is a reflection of lifestyle.
Our style is a nuanced expression of identity that draws from the melting pot of rich British and diasporic influences. As our styles continue to evolve, what is constant is our desire to express pride, strength and a commitment to making something out of nothing.
Dreph is a visual artist working across a wide range of media. With a focus on portraiture and painting the human figure, Dreph’s subjects are everyday people, friends, family or those he meets whilst painting in the streets. With exploration of colour and an attention to sartorial detail, he uses his work to tell his subjects stories. He is inspired as much by 80s British sci-fi comics and New York subway art as he is the old masters. Dreph is passionate about the cultural and creative exchange that can be shared whilst travelling and this has profoundly informed his practice. After 3 decades of street based painting, Dreph’s work can be found in Asia, Africa, the UAE, Central, South and North America and throughout Europe. Dreph is an Illustration lecturer at Portsmouth University.
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Max Roach Park |
I chose the theme Reimagine The Future because I feel the world has become too fragmented and our differences too deep-rooted. It feels like it is time to press the reset button and begin to celebrate our diversity and work on potential possibilities through creative collaborations. History has shaped each of our lives and it is very important to be aware of our histories. Experiences have shown that the ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ approach only deepens and worsens these divisions and harms. What is instead possible is channelling our energies into more positively shaping the future.
In my depiction of a Reimagined Future, the globe is represented through the course of a complete day, from dawn to nightfall, narrating the ups and downs that every individual encounters on their journey. In this reimagined world, each person is more grounded, clear thinking and wise.
The figures are illustrated with a stroke of acrylic paint suggested by rapid brush marks, forming crowds of people from every nationality, religion, colour, age and gender. The images of individuals are silhouetted against the bright light they hold within that supports each one to be kind, considerate, compassionate and tolerant towards themselves and to those around them, leading to a radiance that dissolves any intolerance to differences. The luminosity of each mind sets the globe aglow, restoring the oneness of spirit as global citizens.
To quote Desmond Tutu, ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.’
Suchi Chidambaram is a painter, born and raised in Southern India. She moved to London in 1998 and works from her studio in Acton. Mainly self-taught, her work focuses on narrating her experience of a place and its people through rapid palette knife marks using oil paints. Her interpretations are not painted in situ but from memory, allowing fragments of visual data to mingle with her subjective and emotional responses. The resulting work varies between figuration and abstraction. In 2021, Suchi’s work Parallel Conversations was selected to be part of the I Matter exhibition curated by Lincolnshire-based Olu Taiwo, who sought work by ethnic minority artists themed around the title I Matter and all its iterations. Suchi has been an ACAVA artist since 2008. She held her first solo exhibition at the Nehru Centre, London in 2006 and has since participated in numerous exhibitions across England as well as India, Italy, Bahrain, UAE and Oman.
I chose the theme Reimagine The Future because I feel the world has become too fragmented and our differences too deep-rooted. It feels like it is time to press the reset button and begin to celebrate our diversity and work on potential possibilities through creative collaborations. History has shaped each of our lives and it is very important to be aware of our histories. Experiences have shown that the ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ approach only deepens and worsens these divisions and harms. What is instead possible is channelling our energies into more positively shaping the future.
In my depiction of a Reimagined Future, the globe is represented through the course of a complete day, from dawn to nightfall, narrating the ups and downs that every individual encounters on their journey. In this reimagined world, each person is more grounded, clear thinking and wise.
The figures are illustrated with a stroke of acrylic paint suggested by rapid brush marks, forming crowds of people from every nationality, religion, colour, age and gender. The images of individuals are silhouetted against the bright light they hold within that supports each one to be kind, considerate, compassionate and tolerant towards themselves and to those around them, leading to a radiance that dissolves any intolerance to differences. The luminosity of each mind sets the globe aglow, restoring the oneness of spirit as global citizens.
To quote Desmond Tutu, ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.’
Suchi Chidambaram is a painter, born and raised in Southern India. She moved to London in 1998 and works from her studio in Acton. Mainly self-taught, her work focuses on narrating her experience of a place and its people through rapid palette knife marks using oil paints. Her interpretations are not painted in situ but from memory, allowing fragments of visual data to mingle with her subjective and emotional responses. The resulting work varies between figuration and abstraction. In 2021, Suchi’s work Parallel Conversations was selected to be part of the I Matter exhibition curated by Lincolnshire-based Olu Taiwo, who sought work by ethnic minority artists themed around the title I Matter and all its iterations. Suchi has been an ACAVA artist since 2008. She held her first solo exhibition at the Nehru Centre, London in 2006 and has since participated in numerous exhibitions across England as well as India, Italy, Bahrain, UAE and Oman.
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Windrush Square |
The community globe design for Lambeth focuses on local activism and the prominence of arts and culture strongly linked to Lambeth. The two main themes came up strongly during community engagement discussions at Lambeth and were identified as being part of the fabric of the Lambeth community. Lambeth is very diverse, and its history is characterised by strong local activism which has seen so many issues tackled or highlighted and brought to national attention.
One such local activist whose image is referenced on the community globe is Olive Morris. Within her short life, Olive Elaine Morris (26 June 1952 – 12 July 1979) achieved so much in racial justice, housing equality and women’s rights. The building at 18 Brixton Hill, which was renamed Olive Morris House in her memory, has been referenced in the painting to highlight her fight for equal housing. Olive typifies the bravery, activism and dedication to fight for what is right which Lambeth is known for. Her image on the globe highlights this and aims to inspire the next generation of activists.
Another person referenced on the community globe is local artist, poet and activist, Linton Kwesi Johnson. His work has always been political, vital and necessary – drawing attention to issues like systemic racism, police abuse and calling for governments, institutions and society to be held to account. Linton’s contribution to arts, culture and activism shines a light on the work of talented individuals in Lambeth. His work and continued activism still inspires many, and his image and his quote on the globe is meant to inspire people to speak out for what they believe in.
The globe also features silhouettes of people protesting and celebrating to highlight the demonstration of the two unique themes described above within Lambeth. The entangled circles with black dots represent our linked destiny as people; reminding us that our actions or inactions speaking up and out always affect others.
Richard Mensah is a British Ghanaian London based artist who works with and paints in different media. He describes himself as a born artist as he has had no formal art/painting education or training. His love of drawing, sketching and painting was noticed at a very young age and in the very early years of his education in Ghana where he was born. Although his artistic talents was always visible, he was persuaded to pursue science instead of art in his secondary education.
The community globe design for Lambeth focuses on local activism and the prominence of arts and culture strongly linked to Lambeth. The two main themes came up strongly during community engagement discussions at Lambeth and were identified as being part of the fabric of the Lambeth community. Lambeth is very diverse, and its history is characterised by strong local activism which has seen so many issues tackled or highlighted and brought to national attention.
One such local activist whose image is referenced on the community globe is Olive Morris. Within her short life, Olive Elaine Morris (26 June 1952 – 12 July 1979) achieved so much in racial justice, housing equality and women’s rights. The building at 18 Brixton Hill, which was renamed Olive Morris House in her memory, has been referenced in the painting to highlight her fight for equal housing. Olive typifies the bravery, activism and dedication to fight for what is right which Lambeth is known for. Her image on the globe highlights this and aims to inspire the next generation of activists.
Another person referenced on the community globe is local artist, poet and activist, Linton Kwesi Johnson. His work has always been political, vital and necessary – drawing attention to issues like systemic racism, police abuse and calling for governments, institutions and society to be held to account. Linton’s contribution to arts, culture and activism shines a light on the work of talented individuals in Lambeth. His work and continued activism still inspires many, and his image and his quote on the globe is meant to inspire people to speak out for what they believe in.
The globe also features silhouettes of people protesting and celebrating to highlight the demonstration of the two unique themes described above within Lambeth. The entangled circles with black dots represent our linked destiny as people; reminding us that our actions or inactions speaking up and out always affect others.
Richard Mensah is a British Ghanaian London based artist who works with and paints in different media. He describes himself as a born artist as he has had no formal art/painting education or training. His love of drawing, sketching and painting was noticed at a very young age and in the very early years of his education in Ghana where he was born. Although his artistic talents was always visible, he was persuaded to pursue science instead of art in his secondary education.
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