Sculptures honouring Windrush Generation to be unveiled in Hackney in 2021

Hackney Council has announced that two new public artworks will be unveiled in the borough next year and will be the first permanent sculptures in the UK to honour the Windrush Generation.

Artists Thomas J Price and Veronica Ryan are creating the artworks that will be displayed in 2021. The news comes after the celebration of Windrush Day 2020 on Monday.

Thomas J Price will use photo archives and digital 3D scans to produce a large-scale bronze sculpture, located outside the Town Hall in Hackney and will attempt to address the lack of statues representing Black citizens in the UK.

The mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said the sculptures were a “real message of pride ” for the Windrush generation and their descendants in the borough.

"It’s not an answer to the statue conversation. But I think it’s an early down payment on righting some of that wrong, and a chance to see more diverse people represented in a public realm," said Glanville.

Speaking on sculptures, Price said: “I think representation is incredibly important."

Veronica Ryan will create a series of large marble and bronze sculptures representing Caribbean fruit and vegetables.

Talking about her project, she said: "I have memories of going to Ridley Road Market with my mother as a child to buy fruit and vegetables, fabrics, and sewing materials. Little did I know, those early experiences would become essential material for my practice as an artist."