Colonial Dress

‘In the 1920’s one-quarter of the globe was pink, which struck me as obscene. I used the maps to make an extended world on the skirt, a sort of world map in itself. At this time, I was drawing comparisons between maps, country and continent shapes and human anatomy. I had a scan of my liver and was struck by its resemblance in shape to Brazil, hence Brazil is placed where the liver is, Africa in place of the stomach and Manchester (my hometown) is placed where the heart is.’ Susan Stockwell. Colonial Dress is in the collection of The House of European History in Brussels.

Colonial Dress is crafted from paper world maps that show the British Empire in pink, with continents and countries claiming the space and shapes of body organs.

Exhibitions:

Facing Europe's Colonial Past March 2026–January 2027

Exhibition exploring the long lasting effects that colonisation and its ending have had in Europe over the last 70 years. The House of European History Brussels, Belgium 

Maastricht Art Fair 2019 with Patrick Heide Contemporary Art, NL 

First Cut Manchester Art Gallery & Platt Hall, Manchester UK 2011

Contemporary Interventions York Art Gallery, UK 2009

Paper Tiger One Canada Square, Canary Wharf 2008 UK

Body Talks The Florence Nightingale Museum, St Thoma's Hospital, London, UK

Collections:

The House of European History, Brussels, Belgium

Publications:

The First Cut Manchester Art Galleries catalogue 2013

The Yorkshire Post Its The British Empire Story: After a Fashion 2010

Crafts Magazine Altrered States Carol Tulloch 2007