Angela Ford The Raw Origins of a Diaspora
The Raw Origins of a Diaspora: Part 2 investigates raw materials from a decolonial perspective. Creating a series of artefacts that reflect the untold histories and migrations of the Jamaican diaspora through Angela Ford’s personal DNA, the work links Jamaican cultural practices to West African heritage. Angela’s exhibition includes material research from Jamaican medicinal herbs and the traditional practice of using herbs from African ancestors’ collective wisdom, preserved in the Windrush generation of her parents. Also on display are salvaged African vintage fabrics, including the Jamaican national bandana fabric honouring the Windrush generation. The Raw Origins of a Diaspora: Part One was exhibited at the V&A South Kensington as part of the V&A’s Emerging Designer Commission: Origins, which explored the meaning of origins through material investigations and contemporary design practice as part of London Design Festival in 2024.
Studio Raw Origins, under the direction of Angela Ford, a London based designer and educator with multi-disciplinary interests, pursues research-led design focusing on the lineages and historical ancestries of sustainable raw materials and soil-based fibres. Ford’s practice investigates material narratives in relation to place, cultural heritage, and identity; she challenges the boundaries between contemporary design, craft, fine art, and site-based research. Angela will be speaking about her work and leading a plaster casting workshop at the museum on Wednesday 2 July 2025. More details to follow.
