our kisses are petals

The final gallery we visit at the Baltic bears the magnificent title, 'Our kisses are petals'. The long form adds the words, 'Our tongues caress the bloom', which is even more intriguing.

Lubaina Himid is the artist.  She uses the colours and symbolism of the Kanga, a vibrant cotton fabric traditionally worn by East African women as a shawl, head scarf, baby carrier, or wrapped around the waist. Typically, kangas consist of three parts: the pindo (border), the mji (central motif), and the jina (message or ‘name’), which often takes the form of a riddle or proverb.

The flags on display are attached to a series of red ropes stretched across the gallery.  Visitors can move them by tugging on a pulley to change the appearance of the display.