The Negress & The Mammy
"The objects we choose to surround ourselves with are as much a proclamation of our identity as the clothes we wear, the books we read and the art we choose to live with."
— Simone Brewster
The Negress & The Mammy marks the beginning of Brewster's ongoing exploration into the hidden meanings carried by the objects we choose to live with. Occupying the space between sculpture and furniture, the works ask how domestic objects quietly communicate ideas of identity, power, history and belonging.
Drawing on historical decorative objects, colonial furniture and representations of Black women within art history, Brewster deconstructs and reassembles the female form into functional objects. Fragmented bodies become the supporting structure of a chaise lounge and table, inviting a moment of tension as the viewer is asked to physically engage with the work. By sitting, the body becomes complicit in the very systems of use and objectification that the work seeks to question.
The Negress is held in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C. The Mammy is held in the collection of the London Museum.
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![The 'Negress'. A chaise lounge conceptualised by artist Simone Brewster. The 'Negress' is a scupltural furniture piece that draws on historical decorative objects, colonial furniture and representations of Black women in art history.]()
Negress
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![The 'Mammy' by Simone Brewster. A handcarved stool conceptualised by artist Simone Brewster. The 'Mammy' is a scupltural furniture piece that draws on historical decorative objects, colonial furniture and representations of Black women in art history]()
Mammy
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![The 'Negress'. A chaise lounge conceptualised by artist Simone Brewster. The 'Negress' is a scupltural furniture that now features as a part of the Smithsonian collection.]()
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![The 'Negress'. A chaise lounge conceptualised by artist Simone Brewster. The 'Negress' is a scupltural furniture that now features as a part of the Smithsonian collection.]()
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