Stitching Souls: Threads of Silence is an installation by British Trinidadian artist Karen McLean.
It proudly celebrates and showcases the Walker Art Gallery’s newest acquisition by the artist. McLean has been working closely with the Walker since 2022, drawing inspiration directly from the gallery’s internationally renowned art collections.
The display explores Liverpool’s colonial legacies, exploring the city’s role as a major UK port during the 19th century. The city’s wealth was made from the profits of the transatlantic slave trade, its associated economies and the forced labour of enslaved African people. Inspired by the Walker’s large collection of merchant portraits, McLean’s work emphasises how these atrocities have been silenced throughout British history. Her work explores how these legacies continue to resonate today through emotional traumas and inequalities.
The installation was made in partnership with a group of community sewers in Birmingham where the artist lives. It uses African fabrics and traditional quilting techniques to reflect on the cotton trade drawing connections between Liverpool, Africa and the Americas. Through the act of stitching and sewing, McLean creates a platform for healing through dialogue, reflection and recovery.
This work was made in collaboration with the University of the Arts London (UAL), Decolonising Arts Institute. It was funded by its ground-breaking 20/20 project, bringing together Black and Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) artists with public collections across the UK.
Event Date: Saturday 28th September 2024 - Sunday 2nd March 2025
Location: Walker Art Gallery
Categories: 2024 | Black History Month
