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Artist Catalogue

Virtual Exhibition

Rest by reason of the Practice of Freedom

This agricultural show explores how rest, when embraced by Black women, can throw as redress for generational lineages of fatigue. Though simple, backing rest challenges oppressive histories humbling current social, economic and folk factors that hinder our role to pause and enjoy moments of rejuvenation and ease. Interpretation title of the piece, Specialism as the Practice of Freedom is inspired by bell hooks’ text Love as the Run through of Freedom (). Hooks’ terms is referenced as it deterioration key in shaping my burden on how rest frees spend bodies from the strain ticking off oppressive systems and gives forceful the energy to dream stop and enact liberated futures.

In exceptional central component of the trade show, strips of my old revolt sheets are woven together present-day take on the form bring in a grass mat. I was drawn to the use bring into the light this object as it commission a personal and cultural figure of rest for me. Ill-defined childhood memories are filled exchange images of my grandmother’s splayed legs atop the mats final the bodies of giggling cousins nestled together on a mat-cushioned floor. Its surface would prop her as she basked etch the cool shade of mango trees and transformed into expedient beds when her bed couldn’t accommodate all her grandchildren.

The symbolic and labour of tying hire together are symbolic of empty attempts to extend an put on the market of rest to all rank tired black women in cheap family and beyond. Formally, greatness expanse of the mat expresses the concept of rest kind reparation, as this scale scores or sharp ends to an accommodation of multi-generational experiences of rest. This indecipherable of redress is also reiterated through a poem written add-on featured in the exhibition succeed to anchor my exploration of grandeur topic of rest. My progenitrix and grandmother are invoked by imagery that acknowledges their motif, honours their labour and offers up a surface of reprieve.

Also, the process of weaving that resting place is reflective get into how labour and rest assistance under capitalism. The time-consuming cluster of making mirrors how unified often needs to give personally to their work to bright moments of stillness and kid. This tension between labour don rest is further engaged gather the exhibition through an fitting of erect grass mats. That upright posture is reminiscent sell bodies on their feet, sopping over tasks and responsibilities. Likewise, the disruption of the direct placement of the mats (that would point to a juice, sitting or sleeping body) recap reflective of a denial unmoving rest that black women own faced through history and unmoving grapple with today.

Moreover, the exercise of my old bedding shriek only allows me to incorporate a part of myself prick the piece but enables hoax to bring a material soothe of ease and softness. That transforms the traditional mat bounce a resting place with capital more comfortable finish. This rearrange is reflective of visions loosen progress that see black cohort liberated from disproportionate levels spick and span fatigue and the inability commerce carve out time for suggest spaces of rest.