Samba Gown Veil with Sandra Suubi
We’re inviting women living around Bootle and Waterloo to create a veil and artwork from recycled materials with artist Sandra Suubi, as part of her work for Liverpool Biennial’s 12th edition “uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things”.
Sandra Suubi is an artist and activist from Uganda. Her works are a response to her popular visual culture and social practices, especially in her country, Uganda. Her works are constructed from an assortment of found objects – used plastic, tyres, metal, discarded boats, and more.
Sandra’s work links industrialization, single-use plastic, climate change, commodity, and exploitation, with the transformative effects of the accumulation of mass-produced goods, material culture, and women’s lived experiences. Her most recent project Samba Gown, 2022, is a wearable sculpture made of 2nd hand clothes, plastic pipes, used jeans, and used cables.
Sandra is inviting local women, to work with her to create a veil for her gown. Women will be invited to join in discussions around mass consumption, the climate crisis, women’s rights, voices and lived experience, and stitching words into the gown, to incorporate their voice into the artwork. The piece will be worn with the gown during a procession on Sunday 11th June at the waterfront in Liverpool City Centre, before arriving at Open Eye Gallery where it will be exhibited over the next few months. All women involved in the project will be invited to the procession and exhibition.
Women only sessions. Children welcome.
No booking necassary – just drop in.
Dates & Activities
Introduction to the project
Saturday 13th May | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Colour of Pomegranates, Bootle Library
Women from Bootle are invited to learn more about Sandra’s project and artistic practice with the team from Liverpool Biennial. We will be practicing stitching into different waste materials – bring along your own waste plastic materials to practice stitching into if you would like.
The Colour of Pomegranates: Sandra Suubi
Saturday 27th May | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
The Colour of Pomegranates, Crosby Library
Continuing on from the previous week, Sandra will join us to discuss her practice in person and work with the group to practice stitching into different types of fabric, and discuss the themes of the project.
Drop-In sessions with Sandra Suubi
Tuesday 30th May – Friday 2nd June | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Crosby Library – Lecture Theatre
Over half term, women are invited to join Sandra at drop sessions and stitch into the veil together, bringing their voices into the collective artwork, and discussing themes of the project. Drop-in sessions where women are invited to stitch their thoughts around the issues the project presents us with, in a safe and welcoming space.
Women only, children welcome. We will have activities for young children during the sessions – from storytime play, to crafts.
Drop-in sessions are free and no booking is required, but please email faye@ruleofthrees.co.uk to let us know when to expect you.
Gallery Visit
Sunday 11th June | 1:00 pm – TBC
Liverpool Waterfront / Open Eye Gallery
All the women involved in the project will be invited to join us on Liverpool Waterfront to see Sandra’s exhibition at Open Eye Gallery, where the dress will be exhibited alongside Sandra’s photographs, and the work of David Aguacheiro and Rahima Gambo, as part of Liverpool Biennial 12th edition “uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things”.
Details for traveling to Liverpool Waterfront will be arranged closer to the time with anyone who has attended the drop ins.
Image credit: Sandra Suubi, Samba Gown, 2022. Samba Gown performance by Sandra Suubi in Banda market. Royal Kenogo.
Find out more about Liverpool Biennial’s programme here.
Find out more about Sandra Suubi here.
Find out more about The Colour of Pomegranates programme here.
