Hew Locke

In Arabian Nights, sharp lines and soft shifts in tone create shapes and creatures that form a figure holding an AK-47 rifle. The background suggests the House of Parliament in London: gothic architecture, Big Ben, and a blurred British flag. Soon after Islamist extremists bombed London on July 7, 2005, Locke-a Black man-visited the area around Parliament to get a sense of the public mood. Responding both to the bombing and the Iraq War, Locke then drew this figure as a personal commentary on these intertwined, racially charged global events.

Locke densely layered this work with symbols of the British crown that surrounded him growing up in Guyana and more recently in London where he lives today. The animals are modified elements of the royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and its motto, honi soit qui mal y pense (evil to him who thinks evil) decorates the coat of the fierce warrior that dominates the image. Parliament buildings are visible in the background, but the image is also filled with skulls and frightened faces. This work was made shortly after the bombing of the London subway in 2005.