Sonia BoyceMissionary Position II 1985

Boyce used herself as the model for both figures shown here. She wanted to explore ideas about British society in the 1980s, especially the conflict between the religious beliefs of her own generation, and that of her parents.

Boyce was born in London. Her mother came from Barbados and her father from Guyana. This work reflects her growing antipathy towards her Christian upbringing. The praying figure suggests passive acceptance of white culture. The figure
on the right wears a red turban, which Boyce associated with Rastafarianism, suggesting an alternative, black spirituality and rebellion against white society.