WIREDGOV

Expansive artwork by leading British artist and photographer Joy Gregory launches at Heathrow Terminal 4 Underground station

• 24 billboards layering photography, monoprints and poetry are a continuation of Gregory's work on the themes of migration, food and plants
• The new artwork follows Gregory's design for the 2023 pocket Tube map inspired by staff-cultivated gardens across the London transport network

Heathrow Terminal 4 Underground station and the two other Tube stations serving the airport now regularly see more than one million entries and exits per month in total

An expansive new artwork by leading British artist and photographer, Joy Gregory was launched yesterday at Heathrow Terminal 4 Underground station, transforming the ticket hall as part of Transport for London's (TfL's) Art on the Underground programme.

Renowned for her influence on British feminist photography and social justice movements since the 1980s, Joy Gregory uses photographic media to reilluminate overlooked narratives around identity, race, gender and social history, which underscore contemporary society.

A Taste of Home expands on Gregory's interest in themes of migration, memory and plant knowledge. Recognising Heathrow Airport as a gateway to London, a portal of entry and exit as people pass in and out of the city, Gregory has rooted this commission in dialogue with the community of refugees and asylum seekers currently living in temporary accommodation near the airport, many of whom are supported by the Hillingdon-based charity, Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership (REAP).

The artwork offers a space for the stories of newly arrived Londoners, displaced people whose realities are increasingly maligned and misrepresented, and explores how people carry a sense of home with them in the plants and food they cook, share and remember.

The artwork is installed on a series of 24 billboards in the Piccadilly line ticket hall rotunda of Heathrow Terminal 4 station. It brings together excerpts of a poem from the Poetry Translation Centre by Khaled Abdallah, 'Seeds in Flight', and Warsan Shire's poem 'Home'. These poetic fragments sit alongside ingredients which were discussed as 'tastes of home' during a series of photographic workshops Gregory facilitated in the temporary accommodation, and collaged over botanical artworks Gregory created using techniques such as cyanotype and monotype printing.

The 24 artworks expand on the photographic collage technique used for Gregory's 2023 pocket Tube map artwork A Little Slice of Paradise, which was inspired by TfL's history of staff-cultivated station gardens.

Rooted in solidarity, A Taste of Home mediates on the ways that compassion and food connect people, across oceans and beyond borders, and celebrates the cultures, languages and hopes which coalesce in London. The project marks the beginning of an ongoing creative relationship between Art on the Underground, REAP and refugees and asylum seekers living in the Heathrow area throughout 2024.

Joy Gregory, artist, said: "I have long been fascinated by the journeys of food and plants, how they traverse continents and cultures, weaving stories of migration and resilience. Plants are central to our being, they sustain our bodies, heart, and soul. They embody the essence of human migration, reflecting our innate desire for new beginnings - sometimes chosen, but all too often, imposed by circumstances beyond our control. In the words of the poet, Warsan Shire, 'No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark'. This poignant line encapsulates the harsh realities faced by those forced to flee their homes in search of safety and refuge. A Taste of Home is a project that honours the richness of diverse cultures and the shared humanity that binds us all."

Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, commented: "The ticket hall rotunda at Heathrow Terminal 4 station is an expansive site at a symbolic location - the gateway to London for so many millions. Joy Gregory's new commission is an exploration of nature, food and plants in our city, exploring the histories and futures of both those who have lived in London for generations, and those newly arriving. Gregory's photographic installation will be a contemplative reflection of the city seen by thousands of people each day, rooted in the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers living in the Heathrow area."

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: "London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, so it's a fitting tribute that Joy Gregory's A Taste of Home will welcome visitors and tourists as they arrive to the capital at Heathrow. The work uses plants to celebrate the communities that have settled in London and made their home, enriching our lives with food, culture and art."

James Reed CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of Reed, sponsor of Art of the Underground, said: "Heathrow is a wonderful location to represent Joy Gregory's work which highlights elements of cultural diversity in our city. Reed began just around the corner in Hounslow and still supports local communities and those looking for work in the area, so this exploration feels meaningful for me for many reasons. I hope all those passing through Heathrow enjoy this installation as much as I will."

As ridership continues to return to pre-pandemic levels across the TfL network, the three London Underground stations serving Heathrow Airport are now regularly seeing a combined total of more than one million entries and exits each month.

TfL recently celebrated the second anniversary of the Elizabeth line, which also calls at Terminal 4. By May this year the line had seen more than 350 million journeys since its 2022 opening. 

Notes to editors

About Art on the Underground

Art on the Underground invites artists to create projects for London's Underground that are seen by millions of people each day, changing the way people experience their city. Incorporating a range of artistic media from painting, installation, sculpture, digital, and performance, to prints and custom Tube map covers, the programme produces critically acclaimed projects that are accessible to all, and which draw together London's diverse communities. Since its inception, Art on the Underground has presented commissions by UK-based and international artists including Helen Cammock, Barby Asante, Monster Chetwynd and Joy Gregory, allowing the programme to remain at the forefront of contemporary debate on how art can shape public space.

Art on the Underground's 2024 programme is supported by commercial sponsor Reed.

About Joy Gregory

Joy Gregory is an important and influential artist sometimes overlooked by the mainstream as her work does not easily fit into any framework. Her practice is concerned with social and political issues often making particular reference to histories and cultural differences, which characterise contemporary society. The work is highly intelligent, thoughtful and challenging, tending toward a seductive aesthetic which underlines its relevance and accessibility across class, race, cultural, and economic divides. As an artist, she makes full use of the media from video, digital and analogue photography to Victorian print processes. She studied at Manchester Polytechnic (1984) and the Royal College of Art (1986) where she graduated with an MA in Photography. She has exhibited all over the world and shown in many biennales and festivals and is also the recipient of numerous awards.

Her work is included in many collections including the UK Arts Council Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia, and Yale British Art Collection. She currently lives and works in London. In 2002, Gregory received the NESTA Fellowship and was a Visiting Scholar at Yale Centre of British Art in New Haven in . She has recently completed a commission for the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and NPG Artist Residency at The Exchange, Newlyn in Penzance.

In 2023, she was shortlisted for the Freelands Foundation Award for the first major retrospective of her work at the Whitechapel Gallery in autumn 2025. As well as being a highly respected artist, Gregory is a renowned educator of 30 years with a wide range of experience from formal to community and elementary schools to higher education. She has been the Director of Higher Education programmes in the UK and overseas and was the external examiner for the MFA in Photography at the National Institute of Design, India and the BA Fine at Duncan & Jordanstown. Joy has also been involved in a variety of photography mentorship programmes including a project around climate change for the British Council in Nigeria and for the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg training marginalised communities in the Kalahari to take control and tell their own stories without being filtered by an outside voice.

About REAP

Refugees in Effective and Active Partnership (REAP) (Charity 1103345) is an independent, refugee-led organisation in West London that aims to empower refugees and asylum-seekers to live as valuable and valued members of British society. REAP believes that it is essential to protect the right to refuge so people can escape danger and suffering caused by persecution, and that one implication of giving refuge is that there must also be a reasonable level of effective and equitable support for people as they recover and rebuild.