Lucy Orta. Traces: Stories of Migration

Lucy Orta Traces: Stories of Migration will offer an insight into the diversity of first and second-generation migration histories woven into the landscape of east London. Led by international artist and researcher Lucy Orta, in partnership with London College of Fashion’s Making for Change as part of The Portal Centre for Social Impact, the participants of the Traces: Stories of Migration workshops came together to share textile knowledge, follow the threads of community migration in the context of the East End rag trade, and celebrate east London’s history of clothing and textile industry. As the culmination of a 2-year project involving over 80 residents across Newham and Tower Hamlets, the installation is a collective tapestry of lived experiences.

The walls of the Nunnery Gallery reveal two distinct artistic responses that celebrate the collaboration. A ‘Portrait Gallery’ by Lucy Orta: a frieze of 40 large format canvases depicting the makers involved in the workshops recalls motifs from their migration stories. ‘Story Cloths’ made by each maker depict their physical or metaphorical journeys using a range of dexterous textile craft techniques.

The exhibition is curated by Camilla Palestra, Centre for Sustainable Fashion (UAL).

• https://bowarts.org/event/lucy-orta-trac...
• https://www.sustainable-fashion.com/trac...
• https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/...