Trying to touch the trees (2023)

In a series of conjunctive collages made on Hampstead Heath that weave together countless walks and personal memories that embody a profound connection to nature, play and fauna.

Inspired by the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle: born to Maria Belle an enslaved woman of African descent and a British Naval Officer in the West Indies in 1761. Dido was brought to London by her father at the age of 5 and her upbringing was entrusted to his uncle Lord Mansfield, who later became Lord Chief Justice, and who lived at Kenwood House. She lived at Kenwood for over 30 years as an equal part of this aristocratic family; given that Mansfield issued rulings that paved the way for the abolition of slavery in England, some have argued that her presence influenced his judicial decisions.

The grid roots conversations of difference as a reparative act – an exercise of locating and dislocating; drawings emphasising interventions of nature; and through the photographs each capture the presences of influential figures like Dido.
 
Sectional reproduction of Dido Elizabeth Belle’s portrait, drawing, coloured shapes, fragments of found postcards and images, on analogue photographs. Commissioned by FT for My London 2023