A Black Chiswick through History Project with Hogarth Youth and Community Centre and Ayesha Weekes

Returning for a second year, Ayesha ran workshops with the group of young people carrying out in depth research into the colours and distinctive colour themes that feature in the House and Gardens.

Through their research, the group learnt that when the Neo-Palladian Roman-style Chiswick House was designed in the 18^th century, it was commonly believed that the ancient Romans preferred white, since so few statues or buildings had been found or seen with much paint remaining. For this reason, a white and gold colour scheme was chosen in several of the rooms of Chiswick House. It was not until much later, that paintings, found in places like Pompeii, revealed the highly colourful way Roman houses were in fact decorated.

The sumptuous interiors seen in Chiswick House’s Velvet rooms were inspired by the things British ambassadors had seen at the Royal Palaces of the Ottoman rulers in Turkey and the Mughal rulers in what is now Pakistan. This fashion for luxury objects in rich colours of the Eastern style, especially Silk brocades and damasks for dresses, curtains, wall and furniture covers is evident in Chiswick House.

The rich, colourful style of the East was gradually replaced with muted, paler colour tones, and the Duchess Georgiana redecorated the wings of Chiswick House in these pastel colours in the early 1790’s.

For this project, the group from Hogarth Youth and Community Centre created their own colour palettes in response to the insights gleaned from exploring the historical collection and in combination with their own personal, cultural and family histories.

This process helped the group to ‘put themselves into the frame’ as well as exploring artworks within the frames in the Chiswick House collection. The resulting artwork replicates the columns in the Upper Link room, bringing into colour the Egyptian, Asian and Middle Eastern designs that have inspired the decor throughout the House.

Through their colourful and detailed panels, the young people make visible Chiswick’s design elements that can find their origins and inspirations from African, Egyptian, Persian, Arabic and Grecian art and culture, as well as weaving in their own contemporary ideas and identities in the work. One of the columns includes hieroglyphic text that visitors can decode and a poem by one of the participants, Joshua Olumodi.

Local artist Ayesha Weekes, herself of Ghanaian and Sierra Leonian heritage, said –

Working on the Black Chiswick Through History project has been an inspiring experience bringing a fresh perspective and new level of creativity, leading to meaningful connections and a sense of shared accomplishment.

Denny Anthony, Youth Officer at Hogarth Youth and Community Centre said –

The young people involved in this project live within walking distance to Chiswick House & Gardens. This project has helped them to be proud of where they live and allowed them to understand how things were for black people during that period of history. This project has had a positive impact on all the young people who took part in it… As a youth worker it is so rewarding to see young people strive towards reaching their own potential.

Hogarth participant, Joshua Olumodi, said –

Being involved in the Black Chiswick through History project has made me express myself in ways that I didn’t know that I could have done before. It has opened me up more creatively and made me feel a part of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust. Learning about the diverse history here has made me know Chiswick more than I did before.

Putting the Colour back into Chiswick House is available to view in the Upper Link Room of Chiswick House, 6 July-1 October 2023. The group’s collage from 2022 will be on display on the Ground Floor. Included with a Chiswick House & Kitchen Garden ticket. Members go free.