Black Girl Knit Club’s yarn bomb installation can be seen until 12th April, writes Neandra Etienne
Stratford Cross is hosting Braided Traditions: Common Threads, a yarn bomb installation crafted by Black Girl Knit Club (BGKC). Yarn Bombing is a form of street art made by covering objects in public spaces with knitted material.
BGKC, launched in 2019 by creative industry professionals Sicgmone Kludje and Vea Koranteng, empowers Black women to unite through craft. Their activities include workshops and online learning. They released their first book Conscious Crafts: Knitting – 20 Mindful Makes to Reconnect Head, Heart, and Hands in 2022. The installation was created over six weeks. Kotantema, founder of @BlackHairStories, facilitated part of the public workshops for the installation.
During the weekly workshops BGKC members reflected on their hair journeys, explored arm knitting techniques (with no needles) and created the pieces to decorate Endeavour Square public viewing platform, steps, and railings.
Vea and Sicgmone told Newham Voices: “We felt that the history of Black women’s hair is a topic that often unites us and tells different stories. It made us think of the Black East London hair shops we went to as children and the different threads, textures, and colours that are often found there.
“We sourced some of our materials from a Black-owned hair shop in Forest Gate near called ‘Golden Touch,’ which is run by a Ghanaian family. It was important for us to include these stories as part of the design process and to show our connection to the Newham area.”
Braided Traditions: Common Threads From 8th January – 12th April 2024, Endeavour Square, Stratford Cross, E20 1JN
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