Artwork
Motherland
Motherland is a watercolor work on paper by the Contemporary Abstract artist Stella Dadzie. It dates from 1984 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
It was co-written with Suzanne Scafe and Beverley Bryan and won the 1985 Martin Luther King Memorial Award.
This artwork is called Motherland. It's a watercolour piece created by Stella Dadzie in 1984.
The book that featured this artwork as its cover, The Heart of the Race: Black Women in Britain, was a significant work that examined the lives and activism of Black women in Britain. It was co-written with Suzanne Scafe and Beverley Bryan and won the 1985 Martin Luther King Memorial Award.
You can learn more about the artist who created Motherland by looking up artist: Dadzie, Stella.
Overview
Motherland is a 1984 watercolour artwork by Stella Dadzie, later used as the cover for her co-authored book, The Heart of the Race: Black Women in Britain (1985), a seminal work on the lives and activism of Black women in Britain.
Subject & Meaning
The artwork symbolizes the complex experiences of Black women in Britain, with the central figure's clothing conveying specific meanings: red for colonialism and enslavement's bloodshed, yellow for stolen wealth, and green for stolen land. The background depicts a transformative sea journey from Africa/Caribbean to Britain.
Technique & Style
Created in watercolour, the piece's style and technique are not explicitly described in available information, though the medium's transparency and fluidity may enhance the symbolic layering of colours and the sea's transformative presence.
History & Provenance
Commissioned for The Heart of the Race, Motherland became closely tied to the book's impact. The book, co-authored with Suzanne Scafe and Beverley Bryan, won the 1985 Martin Luther King Memorial Award and was re-published in 2018.
Context
Stella Dadzie, a prominent activist and educator in race, women’s rights, and social justice, created Motherland amidst her involvement with key organizations like the Brixton Black Women’s Group and the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent.
Legacy
Motherland's legacy is intertwined with that of The Heart of the Race, contributing to a broader visibility of Black British women's histories and activism. Its impact extends through the book's awards and re-publication, ensuring ongoing relevance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Stella Dadzie’s watercolors feel like secrets pressed between pages. She paints with a hushed urgency, layering ink and washes until the paper hums with quiet stories. Look closely at *Motherland* (1984) and you’ll spot…
