Quartet of works by Jasmine Kahlia forms a trail across the estate for those living in, working in or visiting the area to discover before October 31, 2026
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Visitors to Canary Wharf, as well as those living or working in the area, will be able to enjoy four murals installed to mark Black History Month.
Free to view until the end of October, Jasmine Kahlia’s quartet of works draw on the interdisciplinary artist’s time spent with more than 20 interviewees.
Folkloriq is located in North Colonnade, Facin Our Dreamz can be found in Upper Bank Street, Blaq Excellence is in Montgomery Square and Heartest Truth is in George Street.
forging a path
“I’ve always been a person that hasn’t wanted to do things in a traditional way,” said Jasmine.
“I got involved with art at Camden Roundhouse – I do poetry, music, live looping, photography, film, literature and painting.
“When I was younger I was really interested in calligraphy and graffiti.
“Sometimes I make songs in the moment, it’s really fun.
“It sounds quite confusing when I tell people about all the disciplines, but I’ve found a really good balance.
“That’s why I’m always doing different things on different days – I really like the variety.”
creating space
More than an artist, however, Jasmine is also the founding force behind Bluprinta, an arts agency representing creatives.
“I like to present my work as having quality and to make space for other artists who may be a few steps behind me, so it’s nice to bring them along with me,” she said.
“Some of the creative people I know are not very entrepreneurial but they’re keen to make art and share it.
“Others really strategise and plan how they’re going to get into spaces. That was my intention with Bluprinta.”
Having been commissioned by Canary Wharf Group (CWG) to produce these latest works, Jasmine started with colour and then built her designs around that.
She said: “It’s really special and it’s really nice to bring forward so many people’s stories.
“Black history is everyone’s collective history – everyone’s cultures belong to each other. There’s something about this city that we all share and it’s nice to be able to showcase that.
“For me, this is not simply artwork. It’s a moment.
“Not just for myself, but for families and ancestors of the featured individuals.
“It continues to be a massive journey for equal rights.
“Years of intentional work, diplomacy and focus, facing sacrifices and losses, in the quest for success, despite the reality of societal discrimination and racism.
“There is intergenerational talent and innovation that lives in Canary Wharf.
“To be highly accomplised in our careers is no mistake.
“Although the collection is temporary, the sentiment and intention are permanent.”
discovering the work
The trail begins with Folkloriq in North Colonnade, a piece that examines contemporary art from the Caribbean and Central America.
The intention behind the piece is to bring forward the saturated and sunny colours of the diaspora, using the principle colours of red, yellow and green, which are contrasted with the solid black lines, reminiscent of illustrated books that Jasmine grew up reading like Anansi and Jamaica Tag Along.
Facin Our Dreamz is a large piece in Upper Bank Street, featuring individuals who live, work and study in Canary Wharf.
Spanning a range of professions from life sciences to AI to sport and finance, Jasmine undertook many interviews to bring this piece – and their stories to life.
Blaq Excellence is located in Montgomery Square and is billed as a heartfelt piece about liberation, freedom and creative flow.
It examines fluid movement, belonging and recognises the full diaspora, sampling colours of all skin tones into a single piece.
Jasmine deliberately selected honey brown, mahogany, ginger brown, cedar and tawny brown to blend into the main focal character.
Finally, Heartest Truth in George Street focuses into the snapshots of a successful career.
Each scene depicts a moment many can resonate with when embarking on their career.
These specific scenes are structured as: Downfall, Triumph, Connection and Freedom.
The colours are chosen from the heart space and reflect many natural elements, borrowing hues from landscapes, seascapes and sky.
they say
Lowri Harries, associate curator at CWG said: “The Canary Wharf public art collection is completely free to view, open all year round and designed for people to encounter naturally throughout their day.
“It belongs to whoever is passing, so it’s important that it also reflects our diverse working and residential population.
“Jasmine’s murals do exactly this. The murals are directly inspired by the careers, journeys and feelings of her subjects and their personal sense of belonging to the area, allowing them, and those with similar experiences, to recognise themselves within it and feel a real sense of connection.”
key details: Black History Month at Canary Wharf
Folkloriq, Facin Our Dreamz, Blaq Excellence and Heartest Truth are set to be in place throughout October 2026 in Canary Wharf.
They are free to visit alongside the estate’s collection of more than 100 sculptures, murals and architectural pieces that make up its permanent collection.
Find out more about Jasmine’s artworks here
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