PECKHAM IN BLOOM
Breathe in, deeply.
Hold your breath and feel your heartbeat.
Exhale, ever so slowly.
Slow down and create some peace inside you.
You are welcome here, to pause at Peckham in Bloom; a site of rest and restoration, inspired by Black womxn. This is the first sculpture in the ‘Sisters Need Sleep’ collection, which celebrates Black womxn in rest and nurturing their creativity. All Black womxn deserve a space in Peckham to breathe and to be at ease.
The three incredible Black women you see are Lorna, Audrey and Titilayomi. The love and care they pour into their communities and Southwark inspired me to create an offering that is reminiscent of the tropics they grew up in.
Peckham’s Golden Mile is teeming with all the tropical fruit and vegetables that sustained our ancestors and that we enjoy everyday, thanks to farmers in the Caribbean and Africa. Nature restores us, but we in the Global North are responsible for the destruction of the planet and it is indigenous communities in the Global South – and particularly Black womxn and girls who suffer the most. Therefore, we must listen to Black womxn and girls, because they have the answers to help us restore our collective humanity and sustain our planet.
Take some time to turn inwards, pause and reflect. How can you support Black womxn and girls to thrive and nurture our planet, so we can all enjoy papaya, matooke and sugar cane for generations to come?
Thank you up the @twr__org, @southwarkcouncil, @officiallycorvzon, @msamulinde, @please_make_space @shonibarestudio, Paintbox Studios for expert guidance and everyone who sends love and encouragement my way ❤️
#TheWorldReimagined #Sculpture #EnvironmentalArt #NatureArt #IndigenousKnowledge #Papaya #Matooke #SugarCane #ThingsToDoInPeckham
Peckham in Bloom. Photograph courtesy of The World Reimagined. Photographed by Mark Allen (photos on site) and Barney Oates (cut out).
At the Westminister Abbey launch
The World Reimagined ground-breaking, national art education project which will transform how we understand the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans and its impact on all of us.
I attended @twr__org launch reception at Westminster Abbey featuring all the London globes, including my globe for @southwarkcouncil, Peckham in Bloom. Hearing the co-founder @michellegayle1 share her vision for racial equality was inspirational and I got "Looking Up" flashbacks 🎶🎶
It was incredible to witness the artwork of some of the phenomenal artists commissioned and other artists, curators and cultural producers I really admire.
Just over a year ago, I was fired for "inconsistent performance" whilst I was depressed and anxious. A real gift actually, as making art to process and producing community dance and visual art projects has truly been a reimagining of my impact.
Peckham in Bloom. Photograph courtesy of The World Reimagined. Photographed by Mark Allen (photos on site) and Barney Oates (cut out).
Meeting with Southwark councillor Natasha Ennin!