Ebony G. Patterson: … when the cry takes root …

Production | Exhibition 

For her commission at the Liverpool Biennial, Ebony G. Patterson will create a large-scale, semi-figurative sculptural tapestry resembling a peacock. Its majestic proportions and rich symbolism reference the colonial histories and legacies of gardening in the artist’s native Jamaica. The project was inspired by Patterson’s research into the Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica and their site’s former role as a British plantation. Calling not only on her Jamaican heritage for influence but also on the diverse and international aesthetics of Carnival street parties in the Bahamas, Brazil and Trinidad, Patterson integrates plastic ornaments, bead macramé, clay flowers, and other materials into the work that are symbolic of empire, royalty, and diaspora within previously colonized populations. The addition of conch shells with gold leaf appliqué pays homage to the shells that slaves placed on memorials to their dead. Patterson’s project offers a post-colonial reading of gardens as sites for experiencing beauty, while acknowledging their historic role in asserting colonial hegemony.