A sculpture showing the Baptist pastor John Chilembwe, at the origin of a failed uprising in 1915 against British colonial rule in Malawi, was unveiled on Wednesday in London's Trafalgar Square where it will sit until 2024. In this work carried out by Malawi-born, Oxford-based artist Samson Kambalu, John Chilembwe wears a hat, which was forbidden for Africans at the time against whites, and he is depicted larger than life, towering over a missionary.
The sculpture, made from a photo taken in 1914, reveals "
the hidden stories of unrepresented peoples in the history of the British Empire in Africa and beyond
", details the town hall of London in a press release.
The sculpture, titled
Antelope
, is displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, which has temporarily housed contemporary works of art since 1998. It succeeds that of British artist Heather Phillipson,
titled
The
End
. which depicted a giant cherry towering over a mound of whipped cream, a fly, and a drone.
Read alsoAn anti-colonialist sculpture exhibited in Trafalgar Square in 2022
On Wednesday, the artist Samson Kambalu posed for the media for a long time, smiling, with a cigar, in front of his work.
“
I am happy to have been able to deliver John Chilembwe's message of equality and justice.
It is a message of love and selflessness.
(…) It is a universal message,
” he told AFP.
John Chilembwe is “
a figure of modernity in Malawi.
He was the first Malawian to try to solve the problems of colonial injustices.
It was quite radical, even for Africans
,” the artist explained.
“
By revealing how a simple hat has become a symbol of the fight for equality,
“, said Justine Simons, deputy mayor in charge of culture.
Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, several voices, including those of MPs, have been raised to demand that a statue be dedicated to the sovereign on the fourth plinth of Trafalgar Square.
“
This decision is up to the king and the royal family
,” reacted Justine Simons.
“
What is important is to find the right place for her.
The fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square will not be free for four years, she warned.
Another work has already been commissioned, to follow on from
Antilope
.