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Woven photographic works explore family histories and connections shaped between Trinidad and London
Robert II
Jo Anne II
Jo Anne III
Exploring craft as a form of resistance, artist and teacher Aasha John weaves together old photographs from her personal archive to explore family histories between Trinidad and London. In her work, John uses a table top loom and approaches weaving as both a method of making and a way of thinking, using thread to show how memory can connect different stories, while also revealing what can be forgotten, lost or left unsaid.
“The act of weaving is a physical embodiment of my exploration of generational stories and oral histories. It's not about presenting someone’s complete recollection, but the complex act of remembering. Some of the weavings have got more negative space than others which speak to the pauses or the gaps in conversation, in memory or in confronting distance in relationships.”
— Aasha John
At the centre of the work is a process of deep listening. Conversations with family members form the foundation of each piece, with oral histories translated into material form. Weaving becomes a means of preservation, holding together fragments of shared and personal experience while resisting their loss over time.
As I Weave was developed during Autograph’s Visible Practice Residency and we’re proud to care for three works from the series as part of our collection.
Aasha John (born 1989, Trinidad) is a London-based visual artist whose practice is rooted in storytelling and community. Exploring her relationship with places, often through collaborative or participatory practices, John invites the viewer to physically engage with her artwork and share her experiences, in turn contributing to the artwork themselves, often through printmaking or bookmarking.
She is interested in the artist's role as investigator and interpreter; probing their subject and conveying meaning in a way that engages the viewer and invites them to consider their relationship with the subject matter.
John studied Graphic Communication at University for the Creative Arts. She is Head of Art/Technology Faculty and Head of Art at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington.
Supporting artist-teachers to develop a new body of work, within and beyond the school environment.
Find out more 
A new film directed by Ayo Akingbade exploring Aasha John's practice as both an artist and a teacher
Watch | 11 min film
Listen to a new audio work commissioned to accompany the exhibition
Listen | 26 mins
Exploring the potential of weaving as metaphor and practice to create and connect communities
Read | 5 min read
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Collection highlight images all © the artist and collection of Autograph:
1) Aasha John, Robert II, from the series As I Weave, 2026. 2) Aasha John, Jo Anne II, from the series As I Weave, 2026. 3) Aasha John, Jo Anne II, from the series As I Weave, 2026.
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Autograph is a space to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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