Sokari Douglas Camp
Works
Europe Supported by Africa and America
Date
2015
Description
Drawing from her Kalabari heritage and the history of European art, British-Nigerian sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp creates pieces that address sociopolitical issues and the history of the African diaspora. The sculptural group Europe Supported by Africa and America explores the legacies of slavery, issues of power and gender, and the climate crisis. Inspired by William Blake’s abolitionist print of the same title, which depicts three allegorical figures representing the continents in an embrace, Douglas Camp noticed that while Blake intended to present these figures as equals, the armlets of Africa and America, as signifiers of enslavement, emphasize their subjugation. In Douglas Camp’s version, Blake’s graces are transfigured: she dresses them, and they stand united, equal in stature, adornments and attire. She has “Africanized” their clothing with fashionable Nigerian costumes and gèlè head ties, in patterns with styles typical of textiles from each continent and thus also reflective of global trade.