Deputy Mayor Charlene McLean joined Olympian Christine Ohuruogu and artist Thomas J Price to unveil only the third public sculpture in the United Kingdom that depicts a black woman.
The artwork, called Reaching Out, is a 9ft tall silicon bronze that looks out over Three Mills Green in Stratford. It shows an anonymous young black woman on her mobile phone and was commissioned to celebrate the fifth anniversary of The Line outdoor art trail.
Deputy Mayor Councillor McLean, Cabinet member for community neighbourhoods, said: “It’s fantastic to see a sculpture in Newham of a young black women, which so many people are going to identify with. It’s modern; it represents our community; and above all, it’s fun.
“The death of George Floyd in America and the increased importance of Black Lives Matter has focused attention on history and diversity. At the moment there is a real lack of diversity and a massive gender imbalance in public art. It is one of only three public sculptures of a black woman in the UK. I hope it will be the start of many more.”
The Line sculpture trail was created by gallerist Megan Piper and Clive Dutton OBE, Newham Council’s former executive director of regeneration and inward investment, who died in 2015. The trail between Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2, links the tranquil and beautiful waterways of Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Greenwich, along the line of the Greenwich meridian. It features work from ten artists with further commissions pending.
Councillor McLean, who celebrated the unveiling with former Olympic 400m gold medal winner Christine Ohuruogu, from Stratford, added: “I congratulate and thank sculptor Thomas J Price for this fine and welcome addition to The Line. Fittingly, it’s called Reaching Out. I hope it will reach out to our residents, especially our young people, inspiring them to see, value and enjoy public art in a new, creative and cultural way.
“In these challenging times as we recover from the worst effects of coronavirus, it is incredibly important to make sure that no person or community in Newham feels excluded. We have a powerful arts and cultural programme, co-produced with our residents, that reflects our diversity and is unlocking opportunities for more people to embrace art, culture, and heritage in new and different ways.
“All over the country monuments to those involved in the slave trade are being scrutinised, with many people calling for them to be taken down, but this wonderful addition to our landscape represents modern life and the world we live in today. I hope many people come to enjoy it in the years to come. Thank you to everyone who has made it happen.”
The installation of Reaching Out has been funded by the London Legacy Development Corporation’s Neighbourhood Priorities Fund.
Megan Piper, director of The Line, said: “The lack of diversity in the public realm is under long-overdue scrutiny and this installation, as a portrait of a contemporary black woman, feels particularly pertinent.”