Earlier this year, news came that the Barbican would be covered in over 2,000 square metres of pink fabric as part of a stunning pink exhibit by artist Ibrahim Mahama.
Now, the piece is almost complete, with the finished design set to be in place by this Wednesday (April 10), but you can see the flash of pink across the iconic brutalist building in London already.
So, why is the Barbican covered in pink?
The pink fabric design is here, and as you can see, is totally adorned with smaller designs interwoven through the main body. It comes as part of the Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, a free exhibition which is currently running at the Barbican, and was all the creation of Ghanian artist Ibrahim Mahama.
It’s titled Purple Hibiscus, and has been created with the help of hundreds of craftspeople from Tamale, who sewed by hand to bring this stunning work to life. Fabric used includes 100 ‘batakaris’, which are robes typically worn by Ghanaian kings embodied into the design.
Speaking to The Guardian, Mahama revealed that the idea began as a joke, but was to do with the kind of weather we’re used to around these parts. He said: “The British weather is always very grey, why not pick a colour that contrasts with the sky?”
He has called the piece Purple Hibiscus, which is named after the novel of the same title by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which is set in post-colonial Nigeria and addresses themes of political unrest and domestic violence.
Though the textiles exhibition runs at the Barbican until May 26, it has been confirmed that Mahama’s vibrant design will bring colour to the London sky all through the summer until it bows out on August 18.
After Purple Hibiscus leaves the Barbican, Ibrahim Mahama has confirmed that the piece will return to Ghana for expansion to be used in installations across the country. When speaking to The Guardian he said: “My primary audience is the members of the community and the kids. In my work, the translation or the redistribution of art through these kids, and what it produces in the future both ideologically and materially, is the most important thing for me.”
You can plan your visit to the Barbican to see the free Unravel: The Power And Politics Of Textiles In Art at their website. Alternatively, you can rock up to the grounds and head over to the lakeside façade to view Ibrahim Mahama’s pink piece that covers the brutalist building.