In The Broken Trade Winds, Al Shazly doesn’t simply retell the story of empire—she traces its lingering debris, revealing how the forces of destruction, displacement, and control remain active in our present. Her work exposes colonialism not as a closed historical chapter, but as a system whose influence continues to shape identities, aesthetics, and spaces today.

Drawing on archival research and material culture, she excavates colonial memory through the everyday. At the heart of the project are white ceramics—delicate yet enduring objects that symbolize constructed ideologies of whiteness, purity, and power. Historically associated with empire and trade, these materials allow Al Shazly to explore the entangled histories of imperial desire and the African diaspora.

Through this careful interplay of material and memory, The Broken Trade Winds brings to light the silent, persistent traces of empire that continue to inhabit our domestic and cultural landscapes.

UJ Gallery, University of Johannesburg,May-June 2023..