the rhythm of consent (2022) and other works

Overview

At the centre of Diedrick Brackens’ intricate tapestries lie the loaded associations of cotton with the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. Brackens’ series of allegorical tapestries are inspired by ancient West African Adinkra symbology. The compositions are set against vibrant checkers, plaids and stripes and depict overlapping characters. The conjoined silhouettes connect in what is either a struggle or a cooperative movement. In the rhythm of consent (2022), for instance, Brackens foregrounds the Ghanaian Funtunfunefu symbol in which two crocodiles share a single stomach and must work together to survive. While this allegory often represents the oneness of a shared destiny, it also speaks to how such symbols are now being printed on mass-produced cloth and other objects, decontextualised and stripped of their true meanings.