Pearly Sari!

Pearly Sari! Threads connecting us’ is a co-curated exhibition which celebrates creative  expression via textiles in both English and Bangladeshi folk traditions.

Both cultures have traditions of creative expression featuring individual designs with highly personal significance. 

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a Pearly Sari.  The sari has pearl button embroidery panels of British working class Pearly King/ Queen heritage with Bangladeshi embroidered folk designs.

The ‘Pearly sari’ was created over 2025 by communities in Somers Town in response to 2025 being the 150th anniversary year of the original Pearly King Henry Croft – a Somers Town character.

This textile work was inspired by artwork ‘Pearly Burqa’ by artist Saif Osmani, which reimagined the East End Pearly Kings/Queen traditions through a South Asian Lens.

This exhibition will highlight the rich and often overlooked histories of the Bangladeshi diaspora in London through women’s embroidery, bedspreads, collages, and folk-art inspired needlework. These folk embroidery traditions originate in the Nakshi Kantha textile traditions.

It features archival and newly created folk works by the local women of Lotus Group, as well as work by textile artist Joy Nehar combining Bangladeshi British textile influences.

Pearly sari serves to highlight the rich and often overlooked histories of women’s embroidery, bedspreads, collages, and folk needlework of Bangladeshi diaspora in London.

The Lotus Group

Lotus Group is a Bangladeshi women’s group who originate in Sylhet, a region in Bangladesh.

They have been meeting at A Space for Us People’s Museum in Somers Town in Camden to share stories, folk songs, food, Sylheti traditions, and their lived experiences. 

A book ‘Lotus Stories’ which documents their folk tales, songs, and life stories features in the exhibition.

Co-curated by Amrit Jangra and A Space for Us People’s Museum.

With thanks to the women of the Lotus Group, Amit Jangra, artist Joygun Nehar, and the support of Camden Council and the Highgate Arts Society.

A Space for Us!
A Museum for Somers Town /St Pancras
www.aspaceforus.club