As a Black British artist Josie KO’s work explores the presence of Black people in Britain from ancient times, seeking to highlight the histories of Black British women and to counteract their erasure in art history.
‘Mekle Lippis’ presented on the exterior of the City Observatory is an expansion of an earlier work ‘My Ladye with the Mekle Lippis’ (2021), made as part of the artist’s final degree show at Glasgow School of Art.
Historical context
Both works respond to William Dunbar’s Scots poem ‘Of Ane Blak-Moir’, one of the earliest documentations of the Black female presence in Scotland. Dunbar’s poem describes an African woman performing as part of a theatrical tournament at the royal court of James IV in 16th century Edinburgh, offering a sense of the Black female body presented as spectacle in Scottish history.
City Observatory
For Calton Hill’s prominent public location above the city the artist has created three monumental banners which are positioned on the classical pillars of Collective’s City Observatory, presenting a central Black female figure defiantly visible and surveying the city, set in a vivid swirl of colour and texture. The figure is flanked by two text-based banners reading ‘Mekle Lippis’ (Scots for ‘big lips’), in a reference to William Dunbar’s early 16th century poem ‘Of Ane Blak-Moir’ which offers insight to the ways in which the Black female body has been perceived and depicted historically.
Hillside Gallery
A related sculptural installation is presented in Hillside Gallery, in which the artist presents a a hand built ceramic figure made of black clay, set before a text-based patchwork textile wall hanging. The female figure – echoing aspects of the form of the figure on the exterior banner - rotates slowly on a plinth and holding out their hands, perhaps blowing kisses to their surroundings, seems to engage the viewer’s gaze directly.
Both works reference the literary work of Dunbar – a poem full of satire, mockery and cruel exaggeration – and seek to reclaim from this language and iconography, a new and powerful representation of Black female identity or beauty, reflecting on the black female body within white dominated spaces – both from the historical past as well as present times.
Presenting this Black female figure on her own terms, Josie’s work references and re-imagines racist caricatures and stereotypes, converting them into new empowered, and historically significant symbols.
Content warning
Some viewers may find aspects of this artwork distressing.
Please be aware that in order for Josie to confront the past in her arts practice, she has explicitly quoted some of the racist descriptions from the early 16th century Scots poem ‘Of Ane-Blak Moir’ by William Dunbar. The intention of the work is to educate viewers on Edinburgh’s history of racism, and to confront racist stereotypes and imagery which still persist today. While Josie’s work seeks to subvert such negative stereotypes and representations in a way that is intended to be empowering and liberating, we acknowledge that some people of colour, global majority and Black viewers may find this image and language distressing. Ultimately, Josie aims to expand the conversation around race, specifically in Scotland.
If you would like support or to discuss the work please get in contact with a member of Collective staff in the first instance, or you can email us at mail@collective-edinburgh.art.
Further information
