Story perspectives

Artist Reimagines Enslaved Healers' Legacy in Powerful Exhibit

2/5/2026

46 9

Summary

Story summary

Charmaine Watkiss, an artist, says childhood visits to G Baldwin’s herbalist in London, learning from the Windrush generation, inspired her 2021 gallery show The Seed Keepers, which links the Caribbean, the UK, and Africa in the transatlantic slave trade.
She has researched historic collections, including Hans Sloane, noting his profits from slavery.
Watkiss challenges traditional narratives by reimagining the role of enslaved healers and emphasizing their knowledge and historical significance.

1 of 1

Story summary

Charmaine Watkiss, an artist, says childhood visits to G Baldwin’s herbalist in London, learning from the Windrush generation, inspired her 2021 gallery show The Seed Keepers, which links the Caribbean, the UK, and Africa in the transatlantic slave trade.
She has researched historic collections, including Hans Sloane, noting his profits from slavery.
Watkiss challenges traditional narratives by reimagining the role of enslaved healers and emphasizing their knowledge and historical significance.