Discover the sumptuous wonders of the Amazon and Caribbean in this major groundbreaking exhibition.
Following a journey of early cultural links and peoples from the Rainforests through to beautiful Caribbean islands, be inspired by exquisite headdresses, jaguar skin belts and anaconda themed textiles.
Stunning cultural artefacts and archaeological finds, many of which have never been on display before, are accompanied by contemporary work from leading Caribbean artists including Aubrey Williams, to portray the Amerindian spirit as a force that continues to endure in a rapidly transforming world. This exhibition looks at the culture and identity of an area steeped in history yet very much alive today.
The exhibition has been supported by the MLA through Renaissance London, and the Designation Challenge Fund and Arts Council England
Click on the images opposite to find out about the objects on display
Archaeologists have named ‘culture areas’ in the Caribbean Antilles and South America according to the different groups who lived there. Although the search continues, there are still different theories about the way these people moved to the Caribbean.
The life of Amerindian peoples was drastically changed when European explorers ‘discovered’ their lands. Today the Caribbean is home to the Africans, who descended from the slaves shipped mainly from west Africa, the East Indians, who descended from indentured labourers brought over from the Indian subcontinent after the abolition of slavery, Europeans, former plantation owners and new settlers and Chinese who come to trade. It is truly a diasporic society which is multicultural and multiracial. The history of the Caribbean and its identity then becomes the sum-total of the histories of all the cultures that occupied in the past and those who continue to occupy it currently.
You may also be interested in visiting Caribbean Currents
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