Reading the Label: Lubaina Himid’s New Outdoor Exhibition Arrives in London.
One of Britain’s most influential contemporary artists has taken over one of London’s most historic art streets.
Turn a corner in Mayfair this summer and you’ll find the work of Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid stretched across the length of Cork Street, transforming the famous gallery district into a giant outdoor exhibition.
Commissioned for the Cork Street Galleries Banners Commission 2026, Himid’s new installation, Reading the Label, features a series of large-scale banner works showcasing male figures she has painted over the past twelve years. The project officially launched during London Gallery Weekend and arrives at a particularly significant moment in the artist’s career, as she simultaneously represents Great Britain at the Venice Biennale.
For more than four decades, Himid’s practice has explored race, feminism, cultural memory and overlooked histories. Through painting, installation and storytelling, she has consistently challenged traditional narratives while creating space for alternative perspectives and voices.
Her latest public artwork focuses on something many of us engage with every day: clothing.
Set against a backdrop of luxury tailoring houses and fashion boutiques, Reading the Label examines the unspoken language embedded within what we wear. The banners draw attention to dress as a form of communication, suggesting that garments carry memories, signals and personal histories that often go unnoticed.
Speaking about the commission, Himid described the project as an opportunity to create “conversations through chance encounters” about memory, meaning and the decisions we make when choosing our clothes.
The commission continues Cork Street’s long-standing connection with major artists. Since the 1920s the street has played a role in launching and supporting some of the most important figures in modern and contemporary art, including Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.
The London installation also coincides with Himid’s major presentation at the British Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale. Titled Predicting History: Testing Translation, the exhibition explores ideas of belonging, migration and home through large-scale paintings, sound and immersive storytelling. Created in collaboration with artist Magda Stawarska, the project presents Britain as a place shaped by multiple voices, histories and experiences.
For art lovers unable to make the trip to Venice, Cork Street offers a rare opportunity to experience Himid’s work in the public realm. Free to view and impossible to ignore, Reading the Label turns a simple walk through Mayfair into a reflection on identity, self-expression and the stories hidden in plain sight.
Reading the Label is now on view on Cork Street, London.
Image Credits: All photos: Luke Hayes
Lubaina Himid, ‘Reading the Label’, Cork Street Galleries Banners Commission 2026. Courtesy the Artist, Cork Street Galleries and The Pollen Estate.
