From Guilt to Grace

Gallery: Shuffle Festival, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park 2015 - 2018

Dimensions: 12m x 2.4m x 1.2m

Date: 2015

Materials: Steel, rope, paper butterflies, poisonous seeds, glass vials

From Guilt to Grace

This giant amulet, made from industrial steel and discarded rope from the Thames, wards off the guilt generated by the traditional ideas of the seven deadly sins.

The amulet tips sprout extremes of sin, vials of seeds containing the overdose of poisonous plants: Belladonna represents Pride (Supurbia); Mandrake – lust (Luxuria); Mugwort – greed (avaritia); Henbane – envy (invidia); Throatwort – gluttony (Gula), Wolfsbane – wrath (ira) and Hemlock – sloth (Acedia).

The amulet, From Guilt to Grace, rested in Tower Hamlets Cemetary from 2015-2018, and challenged society’s control through religion, culture and politics over our behaviour and desires.

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All artwork by Miranda Housden