We commission and co-design artwork and murals in our libraries. Here is a selection of the art you can see in Hackney’s libraries.
Photograph by Sean Pollock
To Travel This Ship - by Jazz Grant (2025)
Commissioned as part of Hackney Council’s Windrush Amplified Art Grant 2025, and in collaboration with the V&A East Storehouse, this mural is by multimedia artist Jazz Grant.
After exploring the V&A’s vast archive, and using her signature cut paper collage style, Grant created an original new artwork inspired by the items that resonated with her Caribbean heritage. Items included the oldest Jamaican object in the V&A’s collection, a lacebark mat from the 1800s, and the work of Trinidadian carnival designer Peter Minshall. Grant’s collage combines the lacebark mat with what she calls ‘the chaos and energy of Minshall’s costume design’.
The collage also features photographs by iconic photographer, Howard Grey, which have become symbolic of the Windrush Generation’s arrival at Waterloo in 1948. Grey’s photography also features on the cover of the book ‘Homecoming’ - by her father, author Colin Grant. Jazz Grant named the artwork ‘To Travel This Ship’ after the poem by late Jamaican poet James Berry, creating a testament to the enduring and multifaceted creativity of one Windrush generation to the next.
Following its public exhibition at the V&A East Storehouse, the collage is now a permanent mural here in Hackney Central Library.
It joins Hackney’s permanent collection of artworks dedicated to honouring the Windrush generation, alongside works by Veronica Ryan and Thomas J Price in Hackney Central.
Find out more: lovehackney.uk/windrush-amplified-art-grant/jazz-grant
Hackney Central Library
Photographs by Jamie Thompson
Hands of Hoxton - by Freddie Robins (1999)
Created for Shoreditch Library (80 Hoxton Street, London N1 6LP), this public art commission links local history with library services. The knitted gloves represent the hand as a universal symbol for reading, writing, and community connection. Each pair of gloves is named after a local figure, connecting their story directly to a library function.
Freddie Robins' installation features 17 pairs of knitted gloves displayed in wall-mounted acrylic cases with museum-style panels. Installed along the main staircase, the piece celebrates everyday objects with extraordinary local significance.
Key Local Stories Behind the Gloves
Guy: Gloves with burnt fingers reference the Gunpowder Plot warning received in Hoxton in 1605, symbolizing the library's government and legal guidance services.
Thomas: Honors 17th-century Hoxton market gardener Thomas Fairchild, representing access to the business library.
James: Remembers Dr. James Parkinson, who advocated for humane asylum care in Hoxton, tied to health information resources.
Kate: Celebrates children's illustrator Kate Greenaway, born in Hoxton, representing the children's library and homework collections.
Henry: Recalls Sclater Street's historic bird market and local politician Henry Busby Bird, linking to local news and events.
Lakshmi & Peter: Highlight world faiths information and children's storytelling sessions.
David & Andrew: Represent inter-library collaboration and public internet access using sign language for "WWW."
All gloves were machine knitted by Freddie Robins, except for Thomas, which was hand-knitted by Jean Arkell.
Find out more: https://www.freddierobins.com/blog/hands-of-hoxton