Constantine Gras & Kevin Percival: 21st Century Slum: Life, Loss, and Resistance in North Kensington
"I saw the strength of neighbours who looked out for one another in a system that didn't hear them. These portraits are a testament to their warmth." — Kevin Percival
MORLEY COLLEGE GALLERY NORTH KENSINGTON
Wornington Road, London W10 5QQ
May 2026
Brownbaby and Morley Gallery North Kensington presents an exhibition of landmark photos, films, and artwork by Kevin Percival and Constantine Gras documenting 15 years of local upheaval. Spanning the Silchester, Lancaster West, and Wornington Green Estates, the show captures the lived experience of a community navigating gentrification and the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that resulted in the loss of 72 lives.
The title of the exhibition stems from an RBKC council planning officer’s admission in 1976 that local regeneration was an "architectural disaster" creating a "21st century slum." Against this backdrop, Percival and Gras serve as artistic witnesses to a vibrant multi-cultural community that has lived on these “slums” and who fought back against managed decline challenging those in power.
The Artists
Kevin Percival: Museum photographer (V&A and Science Museum) and documentary artist.
Percival was a housing co-op member who lived on Wornington Green estate for a decade. He offers a rare "insider" perspective. His photography blends intimate portraits of neighbours with an exploration of the changing environment, recording the self-help spirit of a community enduring 16 years (and counting) of demolition and displacement as the estate is remade into Portobello Square where one bed flats now sell for £700,000.
Constantine Gras: BAFTA-winning filmmaker and V&A Museum Community Artist in Residence.
Gras has worked in North Kensington over the past 15 years creatively exploring and exposing its troubled social history. He uniquely documented residents voices that were not listened to before the Grenfell Tower fire and also joined those who climbed into trees to protest the loss of over 200 trees on the Wornington Green estate.
"In a borough where the green space and the affordable living is under threat, these artistic works made with and for residents are an essential record of resilience and survival " — Constantine Gras
OPENING TIMES
TBC
Events & Workshops
Early evening events to bring you closer to the art and the artist
TBC
PRIVATE VIEW
