Kerry James Marshall

American painter Marshall depicts a fictitious scene set at London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Originally spanning the River Thames, in 1967 the bridge was rebuilt in America. In the centre of the painting, a man wears a sandwich board advertising a restaurant called Olaudah’s. Olaudah Equiano, born in West Africa around 1745 and sold into slavery, bought his freedom in 1767. He moved to London, where he became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. The two stories of displacement connect to financial opportunity: Equiano became a successful businessman, and Lake Havasu is now a tourist destination.