Ashanti Moon by Catherine Lucktaylor 

Black womanhood, community and creating rituals for personal healing are at the heart of my practice. This exhibition is a synthesis of many years of research into my African heritage. The use of the Adinkra symbols connects me with my father who is from the Ashanti region of Ghana. I’m creating a dialogue between different materials, nature and grief rituals.

Core elements of the installation include: 

•  Adinkra symbols, adapted from historical Ghanaian motifs used on funeral clothes and for ceremonial purposes, contain deep wisdom. The Adinkra stones and discs are key elements in the Grief Rituals and Ancestral Healing. 

• Three ‘Ashanti Moon Mothers’ sculptures are guardians, and welcome guests. They evoke the elders, maternal respect and ancestral wisdom.

• A rich golden canopy serves to hold physical and symbolic space and unites the elements.

The Adinkra Wisdom Vessels serves as Memory Keepers. They acknowledge and honour our ancestors as the bedrock of who we are today. 

Branches and leaves of rosemary, signifying remembrance, and bay, offering protection, form an integral part of the work, recalling the ancestral altar.