Today, V&A East Storehouse reveals a brand-new mini display exploring Caribbean heritage, identity and creativity from renowned multimedia artist Jazz Grant – the 2025 recipient of Hackney Council’s Windrush Amplified Art Grant.
Commissioned to create a new artwork inspired by her Windrush heritage by Hackney Council in 2025, the London-based Jazz Grant chose to seek inspiration locally and delved into V&A East Storehouse’s rich collections, uncovering a powerful series of objects to help shape and inform her mural design process. Following a successful public show-and-tell session at V&A East Storehouse, in which attendees had the exclusive opportunity to hear directly from Jazz on the objects she explored and her creative process, V&A East Storehouse unveils a new mini display, named ‘Look What I Found’ and dedicated to Jazz’s findings and new artwork.
Visitors can now view the items Jazz found during her research residency at V&A East Storehouse on Level 2, in addition to a vibrant collage inspired by the items and which will be replicated for the Hackney Central Library mural.
Among the objects explored during Jazz’s research residency were:
A Jamaican Lacebark Mat (1800s): a delicate natural lace made from the Lagetta lagetto tree, whose intricate patterns now influence Jazz’s final collage. This is the first time the mat has been on display at V&A East Storehouse.
Costume designs by Trinidadian artist Peter Minshall: one of which is on display for the first time since 2009. Minshall’s vibrant carnival creations prompted Jazz to think about performance, identity, and transformation.
A 1970s poster for the National Dance Theatre of Jamaica: which captured the rhythm and elegance she aims to bring into her mural.
Mary Hogarth’s embroidered screen (1920s): inspiring Jazz’s fascination with artworks that blur the line between fine art and furniture.
The result of this deep exploration is To Travel This Ship, a vivid collage named after a poem by Jamaican-born British poet James Berry. Combining imagery of Caribbean flora, archival photographs of the Windrush Generation by Howard Grey, and references to London’s contemporary landscape, the piece bridges past and present and is a reflection on heritage, hope, and belonging.
Jazz’s research and final collage offer a glimpse into the ideas and imagery shaping her 2026 mural for Hackney Central Library. Visitors can immerse themselves even further in Jazz’s creative process through V&A East Storehouse’s unique Order an Object experience, which provides access to the objects featured in the display for free, allowing them to be viewed up close.
Speaking on the new installation, Jazz Grant, said: “Looking through V&A East Storehouse’s range of collections was incredible, and I can’t wait for the public to also share in this experience through my display. From studying precious fish scales and ancient beads with a magnifying glass, to being led up a ladder to view an Indian cave painting, V&A East Storehouse allowed me to fully immerse myself in the stories of the objects and deepen my historical and cultural understanding. This display is an expression of my creativity, Jamaican heritage and Hackney’s rich culture and history and I’m honoured to have been selected by the Hackney Council Windrush Amplified Art Grant to tell my story. I’ve visited the V&A throughout my life, so it’s almost surreal partnering with V&A East Storehouse to display my work alongside artists I admire.”
Georgia Haseldine, Senior Curator at V&A East Storehouse, said: “V&A East Storehouse is a place for us all to find inspiration, and Jazz is a guiding light of how to use our national collection to make new work rooted in and for our local community. Jazz has selected incredible objects ranging from tapestries by Shelia Hicks and costumes inspired by carnival through to vibrant theatre posters and a delicate Jamaican lace bark mat. Translated through Jazz’s meticulous collage process, these objects from the V&A’s collection are now fizzing with new life as part of her commission for Hackney Council, To Travel This Ship. And the fact that her collage will be sited in one of our local libraries means it will inspire more people to come and see what V&A East Storehouse has to offer them. I can’t wait to see what is made next.”
Councillor Chris Kennedy, Hackney Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture said: “Here in Hackney, we know the power public art can bring as demonstrated in our Windrush Artwork Commission which saw the award-winning work of Thomas J Price and Veronica Ryan go on to become the first public, permanent artworks to honour the Windrush Generation. We launched the Windrush Amplified Art Grant to build on this collection of artworks that express the Windrush legacy in visionary ways. It’s been a delight to work with Jazz Grant and we look forward to her mural providing a daily reminder of the contributions that the Windrush Generation bring to Hackney. We’re grateful to the arrival of V&A East Storehouse in Hackney – this collaboration is a proud example of successful working partnerships between artists, Councils and world-class arts institutions”.
Jazz Grant’s objects and collage are now available to view in a special mini display on Level 2 at V&A East Storehouse, open 7 days a week. Discover how the V&A’s collections continue to inspire contemporary artists and be among the first to experience the story behind Jazz’s upcoming mural at Hackney Central Library.
The mural will then take centre stage in Hackney’s flagship library as part of a major refurbishment and will reopen in early 2026. Visit lovehackney.uk/hackney-central-library for updates.
