Tavares Strachan

Inflatable Mary/Zebra with Galaxy Pot, 2024
Inflatable Marsha/Leopard with Galaxy Pot, 2024 

In these inflatables, history’s hidden figures are celebrated through connections to animals.

British nurse Mary Seacole is embodied as a zebra, whose strength is in its ability to create a single unit from many. This unifying spirit parallels Seacole’s work and philosophy during and after the Crimean War, and the work sheds light on Seacole’s bravery and generosity.

Queer rights pioneer and activist Marsha P. Johnson was painted by Andy Warhol in 1975, a time when the fight for queer liberation was highly visible worldwide. The inflatable recalls the strength of the leopard, reflecting the same characteristics in Johnson.