Heirlooms Unchained explores narratives of perseverance, resistance, and survival against adversity. It illustrates an ominous era frozen in time—a form of liminal space suspended between the experience of trauma and the experience of recovery; between being a victim and being a survivor; between being restrained and being emancipated; between being in a stark situation and being on the outside of that situation looking in. The concept emerged in 2019. As I reflected on my artistic journey, I was prompted to break my silence about the rape and sexual molestation that I experienced during my childhood. This installation celebrates my victory over those traumatic encounters.

Although inspired by my experiences with adversity, Heirlooms Unchained speaks to all forms of traumatic encounters. It underlines aspects of Jamaica’s history and culture in proximity to the legacies of violence and trauma we have inherited as a people, the mechanisms of survival, and our indomitable spirit. It evokes a reckoning—and it bears witness to a deeper notion of the human spirit and our resilience and will to survive. It reflects a narrative of hope and triumph. The chair is empty, the shackles are loosed; we are now on the outside of that desolate place in time, looking in.

The complete overview of Nadine Natalie Hall’s featured work can be found in the Kingston Biennial 2022: Pressure Catalogue, which is available for sale in the NGJ Gift Shop.