Thamesmead Tapestry Exhibition
Wednesday 10th June 2026 – Sunday 14th June 2026 , 12:00pm to 4:00pm
An exhibition of a new community artwork about home and belonging, led by artist Marcus Orlandi.
Opening Celebration
Friday 12th June, 6pm – 9pm – all welcome
What can it look like when a community overlaps, comes together, and interweaves their stories? How do we reflect this range of experiences within a single picture? And how can we make it feel possible to belong, together?
The living-room style exhibition is designed to be a place to contemplate, where visitors feel welcome enough to sit down and share, communicate, gather and feel a sense of communal belonging.
At the centre of the exhibition is a textile artwork called the Thamesmead Tapestry. The tapestry was created by Marcus Orlandi through open workshops with members of the local community who each brought an object with a story to share. On display you can see references to a now permanently closed lock that travelled all the way from Kenya, a favourite dog blanket, and “Nan” who even made an appearance during one of the workshops, in her urn The work honours and draws inspiration from Asafo flags: textile pieces made for pageants, festivals and family events in Ghana.
Alongside the tapestry, a curated collection of items shared by the workshop participants from their own living rooms is on display. Intimate or sentimental, the stories reflect personal histories, a semblance of place, a funny memory, or offer a feeling of what it’s like to be in Thamesmead. Guests are also invited to explore Gentry’s Corner, a collection of art books remembering a member of our community through the books he loved.
Workshop participants: Amanda Eatwell, Beryl Covington, Biljana Penic, Brenda Beckingham, Chris King, Chris Richardson, Dennis May, Eva Lis, Harvinder Gill, Ian Tyson, Jasmine Haskell, Kathy Hampson, Lisa Drew, Maria Helena Garcia, Marian Humphries, Muriel Renard, Naomi Gunnett, Nicky Sutton, Nicola Taylor, Nim Gill, Pat Robinson, Sarah Louise Dominguez, Sarah Doyle, Sue Funnell, Virginia-Joan Spence.
This exhibition is part of the London Festival of Architecture, responding to this year’s theme of ‘belonging’ and is supported by Bow Arts.
Interested in Thamesmead Tapestry?
RSVP to let us know you are coming
Access Information
The Lakeside Centre is accessible via the lift, on the ground floor inside the studios. Please note: this exhibition may have low light conditions. Please speak to an invigilator if brighter lights will help you see.
For any additional access information and queries, please email pandp@bowarts.com.
Please note parking is not available. There is a bike shed on site.
