Artist Hew Locke's most comprehensive museum exhibition to date, "Hew Locke: Passages," has opened at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven. The show features 49 works spanning nearly three decades, including photography, sculpture, and drawing, and explores themes of empire, identity, and migration. Curated by museum director Martina Droth, the exhibition runs through January and includes key works such as "Veni, Vidi, Vici (The Queen's Coat of Arms)" (2004) and "Koh-i-noor" (2005), which critique British imperial symbols using found objects and textiles.
The exhibition matters because it brings Locke's nuanced historical commentary to American audiences at a time when debates about colonial legacies and national identity remain highly relevant. Locke, a Guyanese British artist, uses his work to unpack the complexity of empire, drawing on his own biography—growing up in Guyana as it gained independence—and his ongoing examination of how symbols shape identity. The show also highlights the Yale Center for British Art's commitment to presenting critical perspectives on British art history.