There’s still time to catch an impressive display of carnival costumes presented by Flamboyan Community Association at its base in Harrow Road, west London.
As you’d expect, it’s a visual treat, showcasing Flamboyan’s years of designing and crafting beautiful works of art for its masqueraders at Notting Hill and beyond.
The beautifully presented exhibition allows the visitor to really appreciate the creativity and use of colour, the cultural references, and the intricate construction of the pieces. There is space to walk around each costume and time to explore the finer points of design and construction—something that’s impossible when watching the band making its way through the surging throng on the road.
This is truly Mas as Art. Hand-crafted mas of this kind doesn’t just look pretty but also expresses a narrative full of symbolism and cultural references through form, colour and movement. This sort of traditional, meaningful mas has almost disappeared from Notting Hill Carnival today, so the exhibition is a timely reminder of what we risk losing if we neglect the Carnival arts.
Flamboyan’s Retrospective is required viewing for everyone involved in costume creation (not just for carnivals), aspiring designers, carnivalists and community activists. Oh, and also arts funders, potential sponsors, carnival sceptics, media arts reporters, politicians, and all those who complain that Carnival is just one big drunken crime scene.
Carnival has no better answer to its critics than the beauty, artistry and deeply embedded cultural value displayed here.
The exhibition is at 300 Harrow Road, London W2 5HG. Entry is free and is from 12 to 5pm, on Wednesday 13 November, Friday 15 November, and Saturday 16 November. To register, please visit eventbrite.co.uk.
