Lubaina Himid Selected for Cork Street Banners Commission and British Pavilion at Venice Biennale

Cork Street Galleries, an initiative of The Pollen Estate, has named Lubaina Himid as the artist for its Banners Commission for 2026/27. The installation, titled 'Reading the Label,' will be unveiled in June 2026 and remain on view until May 2027, coinciding with London Gallery Weekend. The project will feature paintings of men created over the past twelve years, exploring unspoken dialogues conveyed through clothing, transforming Cork Street into an exploration of sartorial communication. Concurrently, Cork Street Galleries has become a Supporting Partner of the British Council for the first time, backing Himid's solo exhibition at the British Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale. Her pavilion presentation, 'Predicting History: Testing Translation,' examines themes of belonging and homemaking through large-scale paintings, soundscapes created with Magda Stawarska, and narrative elements that engage with Britain's complex identity. Himid, a Turner Prize winner and Royal Academician, is recognized for addressing race, history, and cultural memory in her work. Emma Dexter, Commissioner of the British Pavilion, noted the exhibition reflects a UK shaped by possibility and tension. Jenny Casebourne of The Pollen Estate highlighted Cork Street's century-long legacy of supporting artists like Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, extending this ethos through the partnership. Himid expressed enthusiasm for the banner commission, seeing it as an opportunity to discuss memory and clothing choices through public engagement.