The UK’s Birmingham is scheduled to unveil a sculpture, dubbed “Strength of the Hijab,” next month that honors women who wear hijabs, as reported by the BBC. This exceptional sculpture is considered to be the world’s first of its kind. Created by Luke Perry, the sculpture will be installed in the Smethwick area of the West Midlands in October.
According to the BBC, the sculpture stands on a selected location at an outstanding five meters (16 feet) in height and weighs about one tonne.
Luke Perry, the creator, shared his inspiration, stating, “The Strength of the Hijab is a artwork which represents women who wear hijabs of the Islamic faith, and it’s really there because it’s such an underrepresented part of our community, but such an crucial one.”
Perry told The National, “They require visibility, it’s so crucial, so working with the community to come up with the designs has been exciting because we didn’t know what it was going to look like until now.”
The selected site for this sculpture, Smethwick, is home to a considerable Islamic community where the hijab is an important element of their identity.
Perry stated that this community is usually underrepresented and described, “It’s something which people feel very strongly about, identify with, [and] they feel happy about and comfortable with.”
However, it is not often noticed in public art, let alone as part of a heroic history. Perry voiced his willingness to honor those who are usually overlooked and under-celebrated.
Luke Perry has formerly worked on the “Black British History is British History” sculpture, in cooperation with Canaan Brown, which was installed in nearby Winson Green in May. Sadly, that sculpture was defaced soon after its installation.
Perry admitted the possibility of controversy surrounding the new sculpture but emphasized its significance for representation. He said, “There’s a possibility that this piece could be controversial for many different reasons. I don’t feel like any of them are valid, but people do.”
Perry emphasized the significance of unity in a diverse society, highlighting that representation across the UK is important for our shared future.
This unique sculpture, created of steel and commissioned by the Legacy West Midlands charity, will experience galvanization before its completion, further assuring its durability and enduring impact.
