Islands in the City: A Constellation of island Heritages
London’s Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) will host Islands in the City, a major new group exhibition of contemporary Caribbean art, co-curated by Sherece Rainford (Gallery OCA) and Louis Chapple (ROSL). Running from 25 September to 9 November 2025, this vibrant and ambitious exhibition brings together over 20 leading and emerging artists across painting, sculpture, collage, photography, and mixed media.
At its heart, Islands in the City is a joyful assertion of Caribbean imagination and cultural pride. It explores the richness, resilience, and beauty of Caribbean identity through themes of diaspora, memory, migration, and self-determined creativity.
While Caribbean artists have long been central to shaping cultural expression, opportunities for their work to be commercially and critically elevated in major international centres have remained limited. Islands in the City addresses this gap, presenting what is believed to be the most significant London showcase of contemporary Caribbean artists for sale to date.
A constellation of island heritages
The artists featured in the exhibition represent a constellation of Caribbean heritage, including the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Montserrat, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico, as well as the wider Caribbean diaspora. Their practices reflect the rootedness of island culture and the expansive possibilities of transatlantic migration and exchange.
“Caribbean art is one of the most dynamic and generative forces in contemporary culture,” says Sherece Rainford, Art Consultant, Founder of Gallery OCA, and a recognised expert in Caribbean art. “This exhibition is not only a celebration of individual brilliance but also a collective statement about the accelerating momentum of Caribbean creativity on the world stage. The Caribbean has always been at the centre of cultural production, and today we are witnessing an exciting surge of recognition and opportunity in the art world. Islands in the City captures that energy, bringing a constellation of island futures into the very heart of London.”
Exhibition highlights
Spanning generations, geographies, and mediums, the exhibition includes works by:
Annis Harrison, Anthony Daley, Brianna Lois Parker, Carla Amour, Charmaine Watkiss, Eden Mullen, Emily Alice Mitchell, EVEWRIGHT, Ikesha Avo, Jordan Zayas Kelly, Katasha Rose, Leeroy Zozo, Lynn Parotti, Merissa Hylton, Natalie Charles, Paula Ogun Hector, Roisin Jones, Simon Frederick, Sonia Elizabeth Barrett, Venetta Nicole, Yvadney Davis, and Yvette Miller.
