Art project in honour of Grenfell artist Khadija Saye – Breath is Invisible

Photographic works by Khadija Saye, the Gambian-British artist who was among the 72 people who died in the Grenfell fire disaster, are the subject of a new outdoor exhibition in London’s Westbourne Grove, a short distance from the site of the Grenfell Tower remains.

The exhibition, titled Breath is Invisible, is a series of nine silkscreen prints of Saye’s photographs. The prints will later be sold and the proceeds will go to the Khadija Saye IntoArts Programme and the artist’s estate.

Before her death Ms Saye said of the works: “The series was created from a personal need for spiritual grounding after experiencing trauma. The search for what gives meaning to our lives and what we hold onto in times of despair and life changing challenges.”

Saye was the youngest ever exhibitor in the Diaspora Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, where she exhibited at the age of 24 in 2017.

Founded by Eiesha Bharti Pasricha and curated by Sigrid Kirk, the project also sees the launch of the Khadija Saye IntoArts Programme. The initiative has been founded by the artist Nicola Green, wife of the MP David Lammy, who was Saye’s mentor. Its goal is to help young people from BAME and disadvantaged communities in the U.K. gain access to opportunities within the arts. Ms Saye’s work is the first of three exhibitions to run at the space, all of which aim to explore social inequality and injustice.

Nicola Green said that: “Khadija was an emerging artist when I met her and she had achieved extraordinary things in her short career. She was a passionate campaigner on helping others learn about careers in the arts and get in to the creative arts. This is a fitting tribute to her.”