The Slave Ships

Being Presented for the first time at Westbeth Gallery in New York City is the installation "The Slave Ships" by Carl Heyward, with "Cake Walk" by Mia Chambers.

Black Bolls and Blossom, Acrylic and Foam Cakes by Multidisciplinary Artist and Chef Mia Chambers of Oakland California and "The Slave Ships" Installation by Carl Heyward.

ARTIST STATEMENT: MIA CHAMBERS

Cotton Pickin’ Cakewalk explores the toll of the second middle passage; the domestic slave trade’s forced migration and separating of families, moving enslaved Africans even further south to work as labor for cotton plantations. The cotton plant decorated cakes in the installation symbolize ancestral pain, hardship, and also strength. As a multidimensional artist, chef, and choreographer, I have always been fascinated by the history of the cakewalk- a dance contest held by enslaved Africans on plantations where participants would imitate the mannerisms and dance styles of their white slave owners. The winners of the competition would be awarded a cake as a prize, both a tangible indulgence and a symbol of luxury they would never experience.  This seemingly innocent tradition served as a subtle form of resistance as the participants subverted the expectations and stereotypes placed upon them and revealed their immense skill and creativity.  Like the history of the cakewalk itself, it felt important to express on every cake not only its beauty and inherent delight but also its shadow side, expressed by burrs and sharp objects.

The centerpiece of the installation is a towering 10-layer King Cotton cake. It is accompanied by smaller cakes: Pickaninny, Blossom, Hand-Picked, Black Bolls, and Cotton Candy, all depicting cotton in various stages.  Using cake decorating techniques, acrylic paint is applied in place of buttercream frosting with natural and man-made embellishments. 

Cotton Pickin’ Cakewalk is an invitation for viewers to take a closer look at our complicated American history of forced migration, inequality, and privilege.