Opening event: Tapestry of Black Britons at Bernie Grant Arts Centre
This event has been archived!
Join us as we celebrate the launch of our new exhibition Tapestry of Black Britons, curated by Paula Ogun Hector.
Date:Tuesday 8th September 2026
Time:6pm - 9pm
Location:Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, N15 4RX
Tapestry of Black Britain exhibits 5 woven art works at Bernie Grant Arts Centre including Carnival Woven Diptych as Notting Hill Carnival turns 60.
A major new touring artwork exploring the overlooked Black diasporic experience in British history will go on display at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre from Tuesday 8 to Wednesday 30 September. The Tottenham venue will be the only London location to bring together the complete collection of tapestries before they disperse across England for an autumn tour.
Drawing a striking connection between the Bayeux Tapestry and Notting Hill Carnival, the project comes as Notting Hill Carnival celebrates its 60th anniversary. The exhibition will feature tapestries not previously shown in London, including African Romans in Britain , designed by Alvin Kofi, and Carnivals in Britain , designed by Paula Ogun Hector with artwork by Henry Obasi.
At a moment of renewed debate around how Britain remembers its past,Tapestry of Black Britonssets out to address a long-standing blind spot: the relative absence of Black British histories in mainstream public consciousness.
Together, the tapestries challenge conventional narratives of British history, bringing Black presence, culture and experience to the foreground through a contemporary reimagining of the tapestry tradition.
Tapestry of Black Britons, created by artist and cultural producer Paula Ogun Hector, is an evolving series of largescale woven works tracing nearly 2,000 years of African and Caribbean presence in Britain from Roman times to the present. Its premise is simple: British history, as commonly taught and understood, remains incomplete. Paula Ogun Hector said: By honouring Black Britons whose contributions shape the nation, this exhibition offers a restorative counternarrative aligned with Bernie Grants fight for dignity and justice. This exhibition brings together threads that have always been there but are rarely seen as part of the same fabric.
Date:Tuesday 8th September 2026
Time:6pm - 9pm
Location:Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, N15 4RX
Tapestry of Black Britain exhibits 5 woven art works at Bernie Grant Arts Centre including Carnival Woven Diptych as Notting Hill Carnival turns 60.
A major new touring artwork exploring the overlooked Black diasporic experience in British history will go on display at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre from Tuesday 8 to Wednesday 30 September. The Tottenham venue will be the only London location to bring together the complete collection of tapestries before they disperse across England for an autumn tour.
Drawing a striking connection between the Bayeux Tapestry and Notting Hill Carnival, the project comes as Notting Hill Carnival celebrates its 60th anniversary. The exhibition will feature tapestries not previously shown in London, including African Romans in Britain , designed by Alvin Kofi, and Carnivals in Britain , designed by Paula Ogun Hector with artwork by Henry Obasi.
At a moment of renewed debate around how Britain remembers its past,Tapestry of Black Britonssets out to address a long-standing blind spot: the relative absence of Black British histories in mainstream public consciousness.
Together, the tapestries challenge conventional narratives of British history, bringing Black presence, culture and experience to the foreground through a contemporary reimagining of the tapestry tradition.
Tapestry of Black Britons, created by artist and cultural producer Paula Ogun Hector, is an evolving series of largescale woven works tracing nearly 2,000 years of African and Caribbean presence in Britain from Roman times to the present. Its premise is simple: British history, as commonly taught and understood, remains incomplete. Paula Ogun Hector said: By honouring Black Britons whose contributions shape the nation, this exhibition offers a restorative counternarrative aligned with Bernie Grants fight for dignity and justice. This exhibition brings together threads that have always been there but are rarely seen as part of the same fabric.
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