Three Graces_The Dialogue

I gathered ideas from a walk from  Anton de Kom bridge to the site of this  commision, I could see and liked the bright colours of the bridge

Through my reseach I came across the flora and fauner of Suriname and beautiful drawings by Maria Sibylla Merian

I came across the costume that women wore during colonisation and slavery in Suriname and I loved the layering of the skirt fashioned to look full and volumous . The difficulty for me was finding an image that was not showing labour and  survitude.

I embrace the fact that colonised people take styles from the colonisers and somethings from their own history to make a new identity through costume.

Then I saw an image of women sitting talking in a park, the composition of the photograph, the colours worn and  their itimercy and reminded me of the ‘ three graces’ by Canova, the way physical gesture and fabric lead one around ta composition.

My style of work uses patterns and Maria‘s works are an inspiration in this project

Costumes worn by black women, Herero women from Namnibia , feature in a sculpture ‘Looking for Grace ‘ Bremen museum. ’ Asoebi’ BM 2004. Women in Nigerian dress recently shown in Artzuid 2021. ‘Tousling Jonkonnu 2021 Outside design museum London . Celebrating Carnival and costumes influenced by Coloniseation and slavery which is an identity ; far from subservient .

Three Graces_ The Dialogue is about fortitude and reconciliation

They, the sculptural figures,would be at a friendly height.

My proposal is that the site should be landscaped, to have sitting areas near the sculpture.  The site can be landscaped for people to be near a ‘pool of colour’ and companionship which would be the aim of the work I would produce.