Justice?

2020, machine knitted acrylic
Size: width 30 cm x length 64 cm

Background to artwork:

This artwork was commissioned for Hastings Museum & Art Gallery The museum made an open call for responses from Black and minority ethnic people to George Floyd’s killing and the Black Lives Matter movement. Four artworks in total were commissioned the other works are ‘STOP’ by Maggie Scott, Black Joy Matters by Anna-Maria Nabirye, and The Black Lens – Viewing Britain From A Darker Perspective by Paris Grande in collaboration with Casey Rowe, Zoe Daniels, Elisha Edwards, Brianna O’Reilly, Rhiannon Aaliyaha and Izzy Withers.

“This is not the time for silence. Hastings Museum & Art Gallery wants to amplify and support the work of Black and ethnic minority creators. As an organization currently staffed by white people, we know voices like ours have enough platforms”

‘Justice?’ is my knitted response to the performative actions of leading white-run cultural organizations and some higher education institutions in the UK. On June 2, 2020 (#BlackOutTuesday) they were quick to post a black square on social media in so-called solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests in the US following the murder of George Floyd. These same white led institutions and organizations have remained silent in the conversation about racism in the sector that has been ongoing for many years. They have chosen year after year to remain deaf and inactive to calls to be actively anti-racist.

As the Black community calls for justice all we get is just this a box-ticking/checking exercise.

Symbolism:

The black square represents those posted on Instagram on #BlackOutTuesday. The white tick the calculated performative acts of white led leading white-run cultural organizations and some higher education institutions

The words ‘just this’ for the lack of Justice

The colours chosen are black and white as used on printed forms.

Techniques used:

This artwork was knitted on a domestic Passap E6000 knitting machine. The technique used was two colour jacquard. The design was created with Designaknit 9 software.