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What Lies Beneath – Empire’s Dark History Revealed
, 2021
60 x 63 cm (h x w)
Used tights, cotton, bamboo yarn and recycled thread
Courtesy of the artist
Pieces of cotton and hole-ridden tights are layered over knitted bamboo yarn in this work by Enam Gbewonyo. The artist’s interest in textiles began when she visited a small weaving community in her ancestral home of Eweland, Ghana, as a young girl. Weaving is fundamental to the Ewe tribe’s way of life: part of their rituals, celebrations and storytelling. Having grown up in Britain, Gbewonyo also explores the legacy of British colonialism. Her work aims to expose this history and create a place of healing.