Warp and Weft is a survey of works by 2017 Turner Prize nominee, Lubaina Himid. Opening 30th June at Firstsite, Colchester, the exhibition runs from 1st July-1st October 10am-5pm
Warp and Weft is comprised of three bodies of work in which the artist adopts the mantel of the History painter to question its imperialist tradition. By reinserting black figures into this arena of power and prestige, Himid foregrounds the contribution of people of the African diaspora to Western culture and economy.
The exhibition’s title, Warp and Weft, refers to the process by which threads are held in tension on a frame or loom to create cloth. Himid chose the title for its reference to Colchester’s important position in the wool trade between the 13th and 16th centuries, and its complex history of race and migration that is reflected in the productive tensions of Himid’s work.
Warp and Weft at Firstsite Colchester