Deanna Tyson
ART TO DIE FOR is a tripartite exhibition which echoes the Triangular Trade, the trading of slaves taken from the West Coast of Africa by Europeans to work on the sugar and cotton plantations in the Americas. The exhibition takes place in three locations, two in the centre of Cambridge on King's Parade and one at Williams Art.
The work in Primavera relates to Europe, to the wealth and cultural refinement that resulted from the trading of Africans. Egg tempera Afro/Greek icons feature among the works on display here.
Africa is represented at King's College Art Centre by work that reflects the present state of Africa, both positive and negative. Works here include kimono (a word meaning "thing to wear") wall hangings and soft sculptures.
Williams Art, just off the cosmopolitan Mill Road, "The Brick Lane of Cambridge", represents the final destination of the journey, the Americas and the Caribbean. Here, Deanna's work is exhibited alongside that of John Lyons, artist, poet and great Trinidadian cook. The work in Williams Art attempts to capture the positive dynamism of African peoples through their struggle against prejudice. It focuses upon their use of music, dance and rhythm in order to assert their creativity and make their lives tolerable and meaningful. Kimono and woven portraits feature here.
The exhibition is a celebration informed by African history and inspired by heroes of the African Diaspora.
