Thahera at the Horsfall

Squad 10’s Thahera Keia currently has work on display at the Horsfall Gallery in Ancoats, Manchester. The work will be on display until 29th October, though purchasable copies will soon be available, and you can read more about the piece from Thahera below.

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Commissioned by The Horsfall to create artwork for the 2021 ‘Future Is Ours Festival’ in the spirit of exploring creativity, activism and mental health, I collaborated with fellow artist – and my mother – Zornegar Sulthana in order to create ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You.’

The shirt is all about Empowerment, particularly taking back power for survivors of sexual abuse. With the current climate, we – anyone who has dared to go outside, honestly – often find our bodies critiqued by those who think they have rights to it in any capacity. In conceiving the idea, I wanted to make something that would reflect a healing mindset, to remind us all that there is nothing wrong with us, and the actions of others against us is not our fault: we are not the problem.

That being said, I desired for this project to help people beyond its initial creation. Thus, Sulthana and I agreed to write ‘Survivors Trust’ along the back of the shirt: that way, whenever I wear the shirt, there will be a chance that somebody who needs support will see, and thus get the help that they deserve. All in all – I am proud to champion body positivity and push back against a society that loves to tell us all that we are not enough.

We are.