Khadija Saye, 25-year-old artist, dies in Grenfell Tower fire

Khadija Saye, a 25-year-old Gambian-born artist, died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London on June 14, 2017. She lived on the 20th floor with her mother Mary Mendy, who remains missing. Saye had posted a desperate Facebook message at 3am saying she was trapped. Her friend and mentor, artist Nicola Green, launched a Twitter appeal. Saye had recently been selected for the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, curated by David A. Bailey and Jessica Taylor, alongside artists including Yinka Shonibare, Isaac Julien, Michael Forbes, and Green. Her series Crowned explored tradition and femininity, while Home.Coming addressed personal origins. She was featured in a BBC2 documentary on the Biennale as the only artist under 30, and was scheduled to speak at the Names Not Numbers conference. David Lammy, British politician and Green's husband, tweeted a tribute. The Tate also paid homage online.