Belly Full of Histories, 2025 by Rudy Loewe

Rudy Loewe’s new limited-edition print, Belly Full of Histories, accompanies their commission at Brixton Underground station, The Congregation.  

Loewe’s commission honours Brixton’s history as a place of resistance and community gathering, particularly for London’s Black communities. Like The Congregation, Belly Full of Histories features multiple scenes celebrating the figures and history of the local area. These scenes are drawn from archival research and interviews: a demonstration takes place every New Year’s Eve outside HM Prison Brixton in solidarity with prisoners. A faith healer offers healing outside Brixton station. Locals protest against housing cuts, evictions and police brutality. Atlantic Road, home of the Frontline Off Licence, is the site of the first resistance during the 1981 Brixton Uprising. 

Belly Full of Histories pays tribute to figures and communities that have shaped the culture of the local area. Activist and campaigner Marcia Rigg is depicted in ‘Holding the Flame’, a virtual statue created by Aswarm in memory of her brother, Sean Rigg, who died in police custody at Brixton Police Station in 2008. SisterMatic, a sound system which started in the 1980s in Brixton, can be seen providing a safe space for Black Lesbian women. 

Slogans such as ‘Don’t Bow’, inspired by graffiti from Jamaica, serve as a reminder to resist oppressive state systems. The phrase, ‘this place a belly full of histories’ is presented as if sung by a gospel singer, weaving through the artwork. The patterns and slogans are picked out in Yellow, Brown & Black enamel glazes. 

Through the use of vivid colour, text and image, Belly Full of Histories visualises the rich sensorial experience of Brixton and celebrates the area as a site of gathering and collective resistance. 

About this product:

Digital pigment with 3 colour gloss enamel silkscreen overlay on Somerset Velvet 330gsm 

44mm x 59.7cm 

Edition of 30, signed and numbered