35th Marzee International Graduate Show
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The Beaded Confinement
Marzee Graduate Prize Winner Luisa Kuschel grew up in Mozambique as the daughter of a white mother and a black father. With her piece 'The Beaded Confinement' she makes a connection between the trade in glass beads and racism.
In Africa, traditionally glass beads were incorporated into personal items such as clothing and ceremonial decorations. In the 18th and 19th centuries, cheaply produced glass beads from Europe were exported to Africa where they were used by African artisans to produce wall hangings, personal adornments, and other objects for export to Europe and America where these items were presented as being made by 'primitive natives'.
“With my project entitled ‘The Beaded Confinement’, I aim to draw attention to the hidden aspects of the glass beads by presenting them in a different way: enveloping a set of shackles with a chain that prevent people from liberating themselves from an identity attributed to them. In my work the glass beads are a symbol of enslavement, as they were used as a tool to shackle and chain the identity of black people. My ‘slave chain’ is made of thousands of mainly red beads. I chose the colour red as it symbolizes suffering and bloodshed, but also Africa’s red soil.
‘The Beaded Confinement’ is part of the 35 Marzee International Graduate Show which is on display until 30 October 2021.
Regular opening hours: Tue-Fri: 10am - 6pm; Sat: 10am - 5pm