Dexter Navy, Liam Hodges, & Sukeban join anti-censorship t-shirt project

“Time and time again, we’ve seen cases of brave human rights defenders in repressive countries being subjected to censorship.” So says Kate Allen, the director of Amnesty International UK. She’s explaining the reason behind 50/50, a collaboration with global marketplace Everpress, exploring censorship. Consisting of 50 limited t-shirts, designed and produced by 50 different creatives, the project showcases independent artistry through highlighting some of the most intense manifestations of censorship across the globe. Over the years, Amnesty has protested against increased censorship, while also advising people to fight back against it online. 

All providing their own take on censorship based on their subjective contexts, some of the people included are Liam Hodges, Hetty Douglas, Dicky1981, A.CE, and Octavian. In a world of constant evolution in terms of culture, technology and humanity, this social issue grows with it in an array of different forms, reflected in the variation in artwork for 50/50 – everything from mass surveillance to local injustice is addressed through the medium.

Also involved in the project to help raise funds for Amnesty International is filmmaker and photographer, Dexter Navy. The inspiration behind his t-shirt design comes from a place of utopia. “My answer to censorship is freedom and peace, and to me, this image shows a time in a young person’s life when the word censorship doesn’t exist,” he says.

Emblazoned with the slogan ‘no silence’, Sukeban magazine’s tee (created by founders Yuki Haze and Erika Bowes) counters the lack of inclusivity in the fashion and music industries. They believe that “Sukeban is a platform that supports POC talent and fashion imagery that looks beyond the tokenisation of minority models. Our efforts against homogenisation are our response to censorship – we refuse to be ignored, or silenced.”

The t-shirts will be displayed at an exhibition in East London’s Protein Studios from May 31 and will go on sale on everpress.com/5050 for £25 until 28 June.