Vibrant yarn bombing by Black Girl Knit Club
East London-based collective Black Girl Knit Club's intervention at Stratford Cross has brought bright hues to the neighbourhood with their yarn bombing, Braided Traditions: Common Threads.
If you stroll along the East London neighbourhood of Stratford Cross in the next few weeks, you may come across a vibrant display of colour and patterns in the form of intricately composed knits splashed across the public viewing platform, steps, railings, and trees of Endeavour Square. This is the initiative of Black Girl Knit Club, an East London-based collective that provides a safe space for Black women and girls who love to knit and be creative. The bright hues are a result of their yarn bombing, a form of street art made by covering objects in public spaces with knitted material. This particular yarn bomb is entitled Braided Traditions: Common Threads.
The project incorporates upcycled industrial scaffolding material, ribbon, netting, rope textures and other repurposed textiles from Yodomo and Children’s SCRAP Project. The pieces were created over the course of six weeks, where Black Girl Knit Club members attended weekly workshops led by the founder of Black Hair Stories, Korantema Anyimadu, to reflect on their hair journeys. Specific to knits found on the tree, seven tree trunks have been yarn bombed by five BGKC knitwear designer members, with each responding to themes of the workshop. The designs include Breanna by Peju Obasa, Braids For My Girls by Sheree Robinson, Combing Through by Mia Rodney, Country Plant by Fatima Duke-Pratt, and Gara ndiruke (sit and let me braid) by Fadzi Sango.
Sicgmone Kludje, co-founder, Black Girl Knit Club, says: “With its origins in subversive street art and political resistance, our yarn bomb takes its inspirational cue from the ever-changing, and creatively rich world of Black women’s hair. Referencing the photography of ‘Okhai Ojeikere’ and inspired by the vivid colours and textures found in Black hair shops across East London. We wanted to reflect and showcase our members and their individual stories centred on their hair”.
Photography by @kings_art.
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