Continuing its tradition of showing cutting edge art, Brixton’s San Mei Gallery is featuring the work of Davinia-Ann Robinson.
She explores Black, Brown and Indigenous relationships to land in colonial environments. Her work is currently on show at Tate Liverpool as part of Radical Landscapes.
Over a six week period, Robinson will build sculptures and soundscapes using wet clay. She will process, clean and filter clay from sites across London to make sculptures in the gallery. The sculptures outline impressions of her body formed by pressing herself into the clay to leave marks and indentations. Over time, the sculptures will dry and crack, expand and contract requiring ongoing care and repair.
Alongside the sculptures, will be a series of soundscapes associated with the making of the works together with a poetic text written by the artist.
This is a story about colonial trauma and the process of recovery and liberation and how an artist of colour revisits her own experiences to illuminate the wider struggle.
Breaking the relationship between indigenous people and their land was central to colonial oppression and exploitation. Taking control of natural resources and extracting their value were key to the economic success of colonial powers. And the legacy of colonialism lives on in terms of a disrupted relationship between people and their land. Think of deforestation, palm oil plantations and aboriginal land rights.
So this promises to be an interesting exhibition. It is not static, but rather work in progress as the story unfolds. Much like the issue being explored.
“distinction between felt flesh” is free and runs from 10 June to 23 July in the San Mei Gallery, 39A Loughborough Road, SW9 7BT
Open Wednesday to Saturday 11am – 6pm
For further information go to www.sanmeigallery.co.uk
