Dress Code, 2022

Acrylic paint & Emulsion on Fibreglass sculpture

168.3cm  x 140cm 

The World Reimagined, is a ground-breaking, national art education project which aims to transform how the Transatlantic Slave Trade is understood and its lasting impact on all of us.

More than 100 large-scale globes have been installed in several cities across the UK from August to October 2022, with artists and creatives visualising themes around the slave trade, as well as its past, present and future relationships with Britain.

 My globe is a celebration of the style and dress of Black people in Britain since the Windrush Generation, one of the first large groups of post-war Caribbean migrants to the UK in the 1950’s. It is a visual snapshot depicting six cultural turning points over this period, Calypso, Reggae, Hip Hop, Ragga, Jungle and Grime. These musical genres and their respective dress codes reflected the social and political ideals of the day, be that a mark of self respect, Black consciousness or symbols of wealth and status. Despite not always receiving the reverence it deserves and dismissed in recent times as materialistic or frivolous, Black British music and style continues to permeate mainstream British culture at the highest levels.

Style choices are a reflection of lifestyle. Our style is a nuanced expression of identity that draws from the melting pot of rich British and diasporic influences. As our styles continue to evolve, what is constant is our commitment to creativity, and our desire to boldly communicate who and what we are.