Mother, Holy, 2023

Mother, Holy depicts a story of many mothers who left the Caribbean to settle in the U.K. or anywhere else in the world. Though immigrants, they had been part of the Commonwealth and came on an invitation to help the London economy after WW2. ...

Mother, Holy depicts a story of many mothers who left the Caribbean to settle in the U.K. or anywhere else in the world. Though immigrants, they had been part of the Commonwealth and came on an invitation to help the London economy after WW2. The colours and detail reflect the lush beautiful landscape of Antigua and also reflects her hopes and dreams. Every Caribbean home will have a portrait of parents and grandparents in their best clothes dressed for a special photograph to show how well they were doing in London. Despite living in desperate conditions and sharing a house with several families; there was a community, laughter and joy sharing stories of “back home”. This watercolour is on linen paper, and the use of gold leaf helps to emphasise how much I admired and loved my mother and all the women who bravely traveled to start a new life. The gold halo is also natural hair left behind and replaced with hair that would seem more accepting in a cold unwelcoming climate. I hope the viewer can feel the sense of hope, movement and excitement like a cloak wrapped around her static English pose. The mix of the two cultures, at odds with each other.