British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové will unveil his first glass mosaic artwork in Notting Hill Gate, London. The artwork, called Jumbie Jubilation, is inspired by carnival and masquerade traditions, mythology, and the vibrant atmosphere of the area. It celebrates the rich heritage of Notting Hill Gate and Ové’s own Trinidadian heritage and connection to Carnival.
Commissioned by Frogmore, the artwork will adorn the façade of the new hotel, The Ruby Zoe. Jumbie Jubilation consists of eight floor-to-ceiling glass mosaic panels that depict a lively carnival procession. Each panel is designed based on Ové’s artistic practice, incorporating elements from his abstract works and sculptures. The artwork combines vibrant colours, movement, and shapes to create a joyous and celebratory procession across the panels.
In 2016, Ové was commissioned by The British Museum to create two large sculptures representing Africa’s connection to the Caribbean. He created two 7m high Moko Jumbies for the Museum’s permanent collection. Then, in 2021, he was commissioned by the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) to make another Moko Jumbie of a similar scale for their permanent collection. This sculpture is currently on display at the main entrance of the gallery. These two sets of sculptural artworks inspired the dancing figures that Ové uses for the door panels at the Ruby Hotel.
One of the main symbolic characters in the artwork is the ‘Moko Jumbie,’ which is central to the Trinidadian Carnival and all African-based Carnivals worldwide, including Notting Hill. The Moko Jumbie is a recurring character in Ové’s work, representing the joyful spirit essential in the struggle for liberation from slavery. In “Jumbie Jubilation,” two dazzling Moko Jumbie figures, one male and one female, wearing striking black, gold, and multicoloured costumes, will be the two central panels, larger than the other six, spiritually guiding the viewer into their world.
The Moko Jumbie figures became prominent in Trinidad’s carnival in the early 1900s. According to oral traditions, the Moko Jumbie is a guardian of villages believed to have originated from the coast of West Africa. With a rich African ancestry, this mythological character crossed the Atlantic Ocean to protect its people in foreign lands. Typically, Moko Jumbie figures wore long, colourful skirts or trousers over their stilts and masks covering their faces. Jumbie Jubilation was inspired by Ové’s documentation and interest in the African Diaspora and African history. His personal and cultural upbringing influences the artist’s intellectual and creative responses to this history in London and Trinidad. While Ové has traditionally worked with sculpture, film, and photography, Jumbie Jubilation represents his first venture into glass mosaic. Ové collaborated with celebrated second-generation mosaic artist Oliver Budd to bring his vision to life. With over forty years of experience, Oliver has perfected his craft. Following in the footsteps of his father, Kenneth Budd, a pioneer in public artwork during the 1960s, Oliver has worked on numerous public art commissions in the UK and overseas. Notably, Jumbie Jubilation is the first time Oliver has realised Ové’s vision.
Ové says the work has personal significance, “My father, Horace Ové, was one of the founders of the Notting Hill Carnival, along with a group of men who arrived from Trinidad in the late 50s and early 60s. Alongside the carnival, they fought for equality and the recognition of invisible histories. As a parent generation, they influenced how we, as black British children, would move forward. This artwork pays tribute to the culture and traditions they brought to this country, as well as the multiculturalism that has emerged, making Britain, in my opinion, a better place to be.”
Carnival in Trinidad originally began as an event for the elite. In the late 1700s, French immigrants arrived on the island to manage plantations and brought with them enslaved Africans. The plantation owners hosted elaborate masquerade balls during the carnival season. Africans also brought their own masking traditions, including the Moko Jumbie. Masking for Africans in the Caribbean served as a way to connect with ancestors and nature, as well as with the concept of ‘home’. Traditional masquerades were also used to satirically portray their masters and criticise plantation society. After full emancipation in 1838, Africans took to the streets during carnival time, using song, dance, and masquerade to address the existing social inequalities.
It was the people who played old ‘Mas’ characters in the Trinidad Carnival that, in turn, were to become, post the Windrush immigration, the initial founders of the Notting Hill Carnival itself. They brought with them the hope that their celebration would instigate acceptance and integration into mainstream British culture. The Notting Hill Carnival is now known as the largest street festival in Europe and is the hallmark of the identity of Notting Hill.
Across the panels that make up Jumbie Jubilation, the Moko Jumbie figures move between a rich background patination created by enlarged segments taken from Ové’s crocheted doily artworks. These two elements are interwoven in an abstracted way by evoking the resplendent carnival processions found in the old ‘Mas’ of Trinidad Carnival.
Jumbie Jubilation will honour the important local history of Carnival, recognising its diverse community, which helped shape the Notting Hill area into the creative, cultural destination neighbourhood it is today, and as found on the footsteps of the Ruby Hotel.
Zak Ové (b. 1966, London) is a British/Caribbean artist with a multi-disciplinary practice across sculpture, film, and photography. His work is influenced by the history and traditions carried through the African diaspora to the Caribbean, Britain, and beyond, with a particular focus on masking and masquerade as a tool of self-emancipation. Ové’s artworks explore the connection between ancient mythology and potential futures, where he reinterprets present existence into the fantastical. His work celebrates the power of play and imagination, blurring the lines between reality and possibility. Ové seeks to rewrite history for the future by shedding new light on the past. His work is featured in numerous museum and private collections. In addition, he curated the acclaimed exhibition, “GET UP STAND UP NOW: Generations of Black Creative Pioneers,” in London in 2019.
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