Английская Википедия:Hibiscus Rising
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use British English Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox Sculpture
Hibiscus Rising (2023) is an outdoor sculpture by artist Yinka Shonibare which was unveiled as part of LEEDS 2023. It commemorates the life and death of David Oluwale, a British-Nigerian man whose death in 1969 involved two members of Leeds City Police. Commissioned by LEEDS 2023 and the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA), in partnership with Leeds City Council, the sculpture is, according to academic Dr Emily Zobel Marshall the first public artwork in the city to reflect its cultural diversity.
Background
David Oluwale (1930–1969) was a British Nigerian who was drowned in the River Aire in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1969. The events leading to his drowning have been described as "the physical and psychological destruction of a homeless, black man whose brutal, systematic harassment was orchestrated by members of the Leeds city police force."[1] Oluwale's death resulted in the first successful prosecution of British police officers for involvement in the death of a black person.[2][3] The David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA) was established as a charity in 2012 (although it had been first convened as a community committee at Leeds Beckett University in 2007). Its goals to help people remember David Oluwale's experience in Leeds to educate and campaign for social justice.[4][5]
The sculpture was the result of many years of campaigning and fundraising by the David Oluwale Memorial Association.[6] It was supported by Leeds City Council and the commissioning and construction was support by LEEDS 2023, as part of the year of culture. Donors included the Art Fund, Arts Council England,[6] David Lascelles and Diane Howse, Earl and Countess of Harewood, the Scurrah-Wainwright Trust,[7] and the Henry Moore Foundation,[6] as well as a gala dinner and members of the public donating via a crowdfunder appeal.[8] The Art Fund's support included a £200,000 grant.[9][10] An accompanying engagement programme was supported by a National Lottery Heritage Fund award of £48,588.[11]
Location
Sited in Meadow Lane in Aire Park, the sculpture was unveiled as part of LEEDS 2023, the city's unofficial year of culture.[12][6] The sculpture is Шаблон:Convert tall.[13] Its depicts a giant hibiscus flower, whose surface is decorated with wax-cloth inspired designs.[14]
Aire Park is close to the David Oluwale footbridge over the River Aire, as well as Leeds Bridge, where a blue plaque also commemorates David Oluwale.[15]
Conception
The David Oluwale Memorial Association's concept was to create a memorial garden for David Oluwale with a sculpture that would inspire "conscience, altruism and hope".[16] Their brief to Yinka Shonibare outlined a meeting place that would be playful and attractive to everyone. When discussing the ideas behind the sculpture, Shonibare said that he wanted to focus on joy and healing as themes, rather than the circumstances of Oluwale's death. Drawing on a childhood in Nigeria where hibiscus flowers were commonplace, Shonibare felt that the associations of the flower with "beauty, love, empathy, passion" were fitting.[6] The flower is covered with brightly coloured batik-inspired patterns, which are a common motif in Shonibare's works.[17][18] Further inspiration for the work came from Maya Angelou's poem And Still I Rise.[19]
The maquette for the sculpture was previously displayed in an exhibition at The Tetley from September 2022 to January 2023. This exhibition took place after the maquette had featured in a city-wide engagement programme led by DOMA.[20]
Reception
Co-chair of the David Oluwale Memorial Association, Emily Zobel Marshall, described the sculpture as the first public work in the city that "reflects the cultural diversity of our people".[21] She also described it as "our Angel of the North ... a landmark sculpture.”[6]
During the development of the scheme, researcher and co-Secretary to DOMA Max Farrar described the reasons for Oluwale's memorialisation in the following terms: Шаблон:Quote
Previous efforts to commemorate David Oluwale by Leeds Civic Trust's Blue Plaque scheme were vandalised in a racially motivated attack.[19][22][23] The David Oluwale footbridge was unveiled after this event.[24]
References
External links
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite journal
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- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
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- ↑ Farrar, Max (2018) ‘David Oluwale: making his memory and debating his martyrdom’, Chapter 9 in Quentin Outram and Keith Laybourn (eds) (2018) Secular Martyrdom in Britain and Ireland — From Peterloo to the Present, London: Palgrave. / Retrieved 2024-01-15
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 6,2 6,3 6,4 6,5 Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite book
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Farrar, Max, 2017, ’A Memorial Garden for David Oluwale: Who? Why? And how?’ In Moving Worlds, A Journal of Transcultural Writings, Volume 17 Number 1,
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 19,0 19,1 Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
