The Mayor of London has appointed members of Collective Cultures — OMMX and YAA Projects — to design and deliver the architectural setting for The Wake by artist Khaleb Brooks, London’s new memorial to the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Standing nearly seven metres tall, The Wake takes the form of a bronze cowrie shell — a symbol deeply rooted in African heritage, transformed by history, and reclaimed here as a vessel of resilience, remembrance, and healing.
Located beside the Museum of London Docklands at West India Quay — a site once central to the slave economy — the memorial will serve as a space for reflection and gathering. The design will be community-led, bringing together storytelling, planting, and making workshops that honour the voices of London’s African and Caribbean communities. Inside the sculpture, engraved poems by Yrsa Daley-Ward and the names of enslaved people will invite quiet reflection and collective remembrance.
Through the collaboration of Khaleb Brooks, OMMX, and YAA Projects, The Wake will become more than a monument — it will be a living space of truth, unity, and renewal.
Click on the link in the bio to read the full story on Africans Column.
