Posted by Lovelies, may I introduce you to Summer Queen, a celebration of black beauty and the florals of Summer.
Summer Queen has been in my psyche for a while, years in fact. I first sketched a lady with an afro about 5 years ago, using the profile of my oldest daughter’s face. She has been with me ever since, waiting so patiently for my mind, my voice and my self belief to catch up with my heart. Just like with Power of Love she has evolved. Her face looks a little different and she now exists in thread with a summer flower afro! Hollyhocks, daisies and roses are featured and are a pleasure to stitch I must say.
She reminds me and was perhaps even subconsciously inspired by Wambui (pronounced Wam-boo-ee), a close Kenyan friend of my parents’, who I remember visiting us when I was a child. She was a tall, elegant woman, with beautiful, smooth, dark brown skin (to rival my father’s) and a large, stunning afro!
Whilst we still lived in London when I was a child, my parents had wonderful gatherings, where our friends from North London and Dad’s Kenyan friends would laugh, eat and dance the night away together to an eclectic range of music. Still to this day when I hear a Bob Marley track, it takes me back to those days and I am filled with nostalgia. If we were lucky my Dad would let us balance on his feet, with our arms around his waist and he would dance with us. I know that the Kenyan women, like Wambui, who were around in those early years of my life, have influenced me and helped me to identify with and be proud of the colour of my skin and my African heritage.
I am full to overflowing with love for the beautiful queens of my past and those of my present (I hope you know who you are), who have and continue to inspire and influence me to rise up, to find my voice and to be proud of who I am. I dedicate Summer Queen to them. I stitched my Summer Queen to stand for beauty and equality and I stitched her to represent. She has sisters waiting in the wings for their time to shine too.
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.
With love, warmth and light always,
Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
