"A blanket to symbolise warmth, security and welcoming by Samantha Jack

Created by Samantha Jack

Review by Amy Louise Gray

Links – Samantha Jack / Buy Samantha Jack’s Artwork / An Ethical Debate

 

This beautiful and informative piece of work by Samantha Jack is deliberately created to educate and build awareness.

 

The blanket, which is fully hand stitched, comprises of excerpts taken from the stories of asylum seekers in Glasgow. Jack has constructed it to symbolise ‘warmth, security and welcoming’, and it is a functional piece that is to be used whilst raising awareness. The aim is that the blanket will act as a ‘collective voice’ providing an insight into the real lives of the human beings seeking safety, as well as act as an alternative provider of information to the statistics seen on the news.

 

The excerpts used in the piece hit home hard, and definitely do the job of making the viewer identify their own privileges. This is not something many of us do often, however reading text such as, ‘Justice is hard without money’ really gives an insight into the realities of our own lives compared with those of asylum seekers. ‘Trapped in Section 4’ is another powerful excerpt, which does a grand job in making the viewer question the legitimate feeling of being trapped vs. a socio-induced one.

 

For a lot of people in the UK, asylum seekers are a faceless group who are a world away from their own lives. The reality is quite the opposite, and it is a joint responsibility for those with privilege to understand the real lives and stories of those seeking asylum, and to see these people as human beings and not under a collective name. This is the belief of Jack, who intends to develop a scheme in which asylum seekers of all ages, some that are unable to work, are able to go and explore creativity in safe surroundings.

 

The ultimate aim is for the individuals who attend to communicate their stories to Jack, who will use her privileged situation positively as a facilitator. Ultimately this body of work is successful in conveying a message and educating its viewers. The passion of the artist to change people’s lives and raise awareness through her work is unquestionable. When art touches upon political views in this way, it becomes accessible to everyone. Hopefully the effects of this piece will result in more successful projects for Samantha Jack."