This artist's commission sought to engage contemporary audiences in a creative dialogue with the historical "Temple of Peace," once the private sanctuary of British ex-Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, offering a unique opportunity for artists to explore themes surrounding the room's history, design, and relevance today, while posing thought-provoking questions about defining peace in our lives and the legacies we aim to leave behind, with selected artworks to be exhibited during the Summer Camp hosted by the Good Life Society in 2023 and subsequently become part of Hawarden Castle's collection for public exhibition in venues resonating with the commission's themes, welcoming diverse submissions in various artistic mediums.
Adah’s response to the brief is entitled L3b1a: “These people were my relatives, my ancestors. And this place could be my refuge”. The title of this work, references her maternal DNA haplogroup and incorporates a quote from the Black science-fiction writer Octavia E Butler's book Kindred to emphasise the significance of ancestral connections, refuge, and peace in shaping one's identity and sense of place.
In this thought-provoking work, Adah repurposed The Times Atlas from 1899, the year after William Gladstone's death, to create a map that explore the intersection of ancestry, capitalism, colonialism, and climate change, all of which are themes that would have resonated with Gladstone's vision for a "Temple for Peace".
Gladstone's ambition for the "Temple for Peace" was to create a neutral space where disputes between nations could be resolved peacefully, without resorting to war. He recognised the interconnectedness of nations and believed that disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, rather than through violence and bloodshed.
Adah incorporated her maternal ancestral line, spanning from Egypt to Guyana into the work. Guyana is where Gladstone's father once owned sugar plantations, Adah chose to explore the intersection between her lineage and Gladstone's. Through this exploration, she aims to initiate meaningful conversations about our interconnectedness with the past and with each other, as well as the impact of our actions on shaping the future. This work draws attention to how colonialism and capitalism have shaped our world and continue to impact us today, encouraging viewers to reflect on the impact of their own ancestry on the world and the choices that we can make for a more peaceful, equitable and just future. The resulting map features a fact or insight related to the themes and events that occurred in 1899, the year of the atlas, highlighting a pivotal point for peace in history for each country, as well as an inflection point in the future history of each family, both hers and the Gladstone's.
Her work serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of understanding our shared history and taking responsibility for our impact on the world, aligning with Gladstone's vision for a temple of peace. Adah’s work also echoes Gladstone's belief in the power of peace and finding peaceful solutions to global issues by drawing on the Nigerian artistic concept of Mbari, highlighting the significance of art as a form of citizenship and prompting viewers to contemplate their own impact on creating a more equitable world with the question, "What type of ancestor do you want to be?"
