Ely’s famous Cathedral has opened its latest exhibition, this time focusing on modern slavery and human trafficking.

Displayed alongside a series of lectures on the subject, the exhibition is the work of Sara Shamma, a Syrian artist based in London.

She became aware of what was going on in the slave markets of her home country and Iraq, and felt compelled to spread the word. Her exhibition explores the psychological effects of this abhorrent practice, and goes hand-in-hand with academic research she undertook in 2019.

Completed at King’s College London, Sara’s research includes interviews with women who’ve found themselves caught up in the world of slavery and human trafficking.

The exhibition includes 13 paintings and oil sketches, some of which measure up to 2.5 metres in width. Intended to raise awareness and encourage action on the issue, Sara’s artwork is immediately striking and thought-provoking.

It’s estimated that as many as 40 million people are impacted by slavery and human trafficking each year around the world, though the precise scale of this underground industry isn’t known.

Ely Cathedral’s Canon, Jessica Martin, said: “The Lady Chapel is a fitting space for a body of work exploring vulnerability, violence and resilience in the female body.

“It is dedicated to the blessed Virgin Mary, yet shows in its stone sculpture all the scars and damage of the Reformation iconoclasts, who left almost no image of the human body within it undamaged.”

Opening on 7th October, the exhibition will run until the 31st of the month, with the international Anti-Slavery Day occurring on the 18th. Alongside the exhibition will be two lectures. The first, from Sara Shamma, took place on 6 October, while the second from author and broadcaster Louise Hulland will occur on the 11th.