Artist defends Tate Britain’s display of ‘undeniably racist’ Whistler mural

Piper was commissioned to make a reaction work to the 1927 Rex Whistler mural, which will be on view again as part of a new display space at Tate Britain. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

An artist commissioned to respond to a mural in Tate Britain that has been sealed off from the public since 2020 because of its depictions of black and Chinese people, says viewing traumatic and racist images is crucial for us to truly grapple with our history.

Keith Piper was commissioned by Tate Britain in 2022 to create a work that reacted to the Rex Whistler mural, titled The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats, which had been closed after Tate’s ethics committee decided it was “offensive”.