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Diverse in their form and imagery, Alamu's new works reflect her engagement with the idea of sanctuary, both internal and external. She explores selfhood, memory and belonging, dwelling on aspects of the familiar and comfortable using the tactile, durational process of embroidery on textile. Carefully constructed scenes balance the particularity of her drawing with the intrinsic qualities of thread-work; areas of applique and rich colour-fill enhance and complement the linear motifs. One of the significant aspects of the collection is that Alamu brings together an expanse of intergenerational feminine memory, expression and gesture in her work. Not only does she carry forward the act of sewing as practised by her grandmother, mother and aunts, but she has also incorporated precious material that has touched their hands, giving it new meaning within her current worldview. In this lineage, she stands on the shoulders of countless women across centuries and geographies, who have silently, and often anonymously stitched, embroidered, and embellished, making their worlds a little more beautiful much before it evolved into a statement of personal and social politics.
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