Volg het Spoor (2025)

In june 2025, the book Volg het Spoor was published as a public-oriented edition of a research project on the involvement of Arnhem and the province of Gelderland in the Dutch slavery past. The book presents dozens of historical stories that link the city of Arnhem and its institutions, families, and streets to the Dutch colonial system and the transatlantic slave trade. It shows how parts of the city’s wealth were built on slavery and how this past continues to shape the present.

I was asked to create the cover illustration for this publication. As someone who grew up in Arnhem, I considered it meaningful that this commission came from my hometown, where conversations about slavery and colonial memory have gained momentum in recent years. Institutions such as Erfgoed Gelderland, Comité 30 juni/1 juli, and Museum Arnhem have played an important role in making this process visible and accessible to the wider public.

The cover design combines references to the double-headed eagle in the city’s coat of arms, the Garuda figure from Hindu-Buddhist mythology, and the West African Sankofa symbol. Together, they form a visual element that reflects the idea of returning to history to move forward with greater understanding.

My involvement in Volg het Spoor builds on earlier work related to the project Draden van ons Nederlandse Slavernijverleden, in which I was invited to design the tapestry for the province of Gelderland. This long-term community project brings together communities, researchers, and artists to make regional histories of slavery visible through large-scale textile works. The design for Gelderland was informed by oral histories, archival materials, and fieldwork, and focuses on water as both a witness to violence and carrier of memory.

Both Volg het Spoor and Draden are part of my ongoing research into the role of heritage in shaping public consciousness. Within this context, I'm also building The Museum of Black Futures, an initiative that explores community-led curatorship, speculative heritage, and new institutional models. In collaboration with partners such as La Fam and performance artist Oshunmare, I am making a series of podcasts that reflect on these themes. These will be released in the coming weeks.

Shout-out to Gloed Communicatie!