Mango Reliquary 2000

Curator: Here we have Veronica Ryan’s sculpture, "Mango Reliquary," held in the Tate collection. Editor: It’s… striking. The contrast between the smooth white block and the rough, dark shapes embedded in it is quite powerful. Curator: Ryan, born in 1956, often uses organic materials to explore themes of memory, place, and identity, particularly related to her Caribbean heritage. Editor: I see it now. The mango, a fruit so central to Caribbean culture, transformed into these almost fossilized forms. It speaks to the preservation—and perhaps the distortion—of cultural memory. What’s the block made of? Curator: It's stone. The scale and solidity evoke a sense of permanence. It’s as if these mango stones, these seeds of culture, are being enshrined. Editor: There's a tension between the individual "seeds" and the monolithic form they inhabit. It is beautiful but creates a narrative about diasporic experiences, the tension between integration and the memory of home. Curator: Absolutely. Ryan's work makes you think about the weight of history. Editor: And the enduring power of even the smallest fragments of culture.