East Mend, 2026, 260 × 180cm, Cotton, Wool, Linen.

Made in The East End emerged from a six-week collaboration with participants whose lives are rooted in East London. Some were born and raised within the sound of Bow Bells, while others brought the experiences of second-generation immigrant communities. Through conversation, storytelling and collective making, the project became a reflection on the histories, identities and solidarities that continue to shape the East End.

Our discussions often returned to the area’s political history: the legacy of the Cable Street riots, working-class organising, resistance to the far right, and the strength found in communities standing together. These themes informed both the imagery of the banner and the process of its creation.

Made entirely from recycled garments, every element of the banner carries symbolic meaning. The knitted River Thames, created by two participants who each worked on one side before their pieces met in the centre, became a symbol of connection and shared belonging. Flowers woven throughout the work speak to resilience and survival: buddleia, known for growing from rubble, reflects regeneration, while the dandelion represents endurance and resistance. Landmarks including the Bell Foundry root the piece within the landscape and collective memory of the East End.

At the top of the banner, the words “dearest daughter” are stitched in the exact handwriting of one participant’s late mother. While deeply personal, this gesture also becomes an ode to the women whose care, labour and strength have sustained families and communities across generations.

Running through the work is the phrase, “they work and toil to keep us warm,” taken from a poem written by the great-aunt of one participant. Originally about coal miners in the north of England, the words are reimagined here as a tribute to the textile workers of the East End. Yet the quote remains open, inviting reflection on all those whose often unseen labour—whether industrial, domestic or communal—helps hold society together.