BEFORE MAYA​​

Ruby-red neon

9672  x 300 mm

Part of the solo exhibition It Should Not Be Forgotten, Firstsite, 29 March – 6 July 2025

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Before Maya and After Maya, two large-scale neon artworks positioned at the entrance and exit of the exhibition.

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The ruby-red neon BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TROUBLED…, encountered first, is cited from High Mas by Kevin Adonis Browne (2021), to foreshadow the depth of what unfolds within the exhibition, articulating a shared positionality shaped by the enduring legacies of British imperialism and colonial trauma.

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By contrast, AND STILL, WE RISE glows in warm saffron—its title drawn from Maya Angelou’s iconic poem Still I Rise (1928–2014), and attempts to offer a gesture toward optimism, resilience, and critical hope.