Description:

Remnants of an Empire (Room 84: The Paisley), 2023

Remnants of an Empire engages with themes of memory, decoloniality and the interconnectedness of the past and present.

While studying Fine Art, I became deeply intrigued by the history of the Paisley pattern and its “hidden yet powerful association with the British Empire.” Through my research, I uncovered how British colonialism in India facilitated the introduction of Paisley shawls to Britain via imports from the East India Company (Choudhury, n.d.), where they quickly became a fashionable symbol across Europe. This surge in demand led to their mass production and appropriation, ultimately overshadowing the traditional Kashmir Paisley shawl. Unable to compete with European manufacturing, the Kashmir industry collapsed, leaving its weavers destitute and starving (Gillow & Bernard, 2005, p.117).

Remnants of an Empire reveals this history through a laser-cut Paisley design on red cotton fabric, presenting a traditional Paisley pattern confined within a stripped-down, simplified version of the shape. The way the intricate design is almost contained and restricted within this oversimplified outline serves as a visual metaphor for the ‘watering down’ of cultural patterns and textiles in the Western world. Additionally, the detailed cut-outs left in the fabric by the laser design visually communicates the absent history and the erasure of British colonialism within Britain, while also emphasising the connection between past and present by re-imagining ‘tradition’ through a contemporary method of making.

Size:

110 x 400 cm

Medium(s):

cotton

Price:

price upon request