Poster -Untitled

This untitled work draws from the histories of blood diamonds, neocolonial extraction, and the ongoing struggle for repatriation. As the collage developed, I reflected on how wealthier nations obstructed Sierra Leone’s access to its own resources and revenue, leaving the country impoverished despite its natural wealth. I also considered the British crown jewels—particularly the Cullinan II diamond—taken during colonial rule in South Africa through the labor of disenfranchised African workers under conditions that later shaped Apartheid.

 

The crowned figure, composed of an African woman’s head on a formal military uniform, serves as an abstract representation of “Mother Africa” and the authority, dignity, and economic power the continent is owed. The sentence in the piece asserts a demand for the return of what was taken. The final word—muthafuka—is a deliberate, stylized use of an offensive term to convey contempt for those who amassed wealth through colonial and neocolonial exploitation and remain indifferent to accountability. It also underscores, in blunt terms, the long-standing screwing of Africa by wealthier nations.  

 

Artwork Title: Untitled
Medium: Digital Collage
© Tamiko Greene. Artworks cannot be reproduced and distributed without permission.