Get to know artist Yasmin Jahan Nupur over a cup of tea, and discover the drink’s complex history in this unique performance work.
Nupur invites us into what appears to be a cosy domestic space. However, its colonial-era style evokes histories of violence in South Asia. The tablecloth is embroidered with an 1886 map of the British Empire. The napkins are stitched with opium flowers, a crop that farmers were forced to grow by the British East India Company, often for no profit. The artist herself wears a costume combining traditional Bangladeshi and British elements. On the walls are images of tea bushes, applied with a mixture of sugar and tea.
While emphasising the comforting role of tea- drinking in Britain and South Asia, the work also asks us to reflect on the impact of British imperialism and colonialism.
The performance Let Me Get You a Nice Cup of Tea took place at Tate Modern in October 2022.
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