Hackney Shrines
The English Heritage Blue and Brown plaque system aims to 'link the people of the past with the buildings of the present'.
Though walking around my borough of Hackney during lockdown I saw the plaques were unrepresentative of the community; of the plaques in the borough 14% were women and all were white.
My project works with the public to celebrate the unsung heroes of our day life by redesigning the outdated plaque system with my own shines.
Food bank usage had increased over 50% since the start of the pandemic in Hackney. My final shrine is dedicated to an anonymous Hackney Food-Bank worker and nominated by an unknown resident.
Foodbank usage in Hackney has reportedly rose 44% from 2018 - 2019, and has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.
Items urgently needed for donation are updated on https://hackney.foodbank.org.uk/ each week.
The shrine is entirely hand made, featuring a sequin-embellished foodbank worker, with hand-painted floral border, fabric backing and embossed tin malagros.
Milagros
Milagros are votive offerings presented to a shrine inreturn for good health. They beneffit the worshiped andthe worshipper. These tin malagros represent items urgently needed by Hackney Food bank. The QR code links directly to the monetary donation site for people to scan as they pass by the shrine.Thomas Harvey
Thomas Harvey was an NHS nurse and father of seven, who lived in Hackney. He died in from insufficient PPE. Hetty Bower
Hetty Bower was a socialist, suffragette and activist who lived in the borough of Hackney from 1905 – 2013. She took part in many local protests in her time, most notably the anti-fascist Battle of Cable Street. She is my hero.