Windrush portraits to be displayed in UK government building after vandalism

A collection of portraits honoring the Windrush generation will be displayed in a UK government department after a similar exhibition in Brixton's Windrush Square was vandalized in July 2025, when 20 portraits were severely scratched and damaged, leading to the arrest of a 24-year-old man who police have stated was not motivated by racial hatred.

Royal Collection Commission

In 2022, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) commissioned ten portraits of pioneering members of the Windrush Generation to commemorate the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush's arrival in Britain in 1948. The portraits, which have become part of the Royal Collection, were created by leading Black artists personally selected by His Majesty to honor the contributions of Caribbean migrants who helped rebuild post-war Britain.rct+1

The sitters were chosen from across the UK by the Windrush Portraits Committee, chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin and including Paulette Simpson, Rudolph Walker, and Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin. The collection features notable subjects including Alford Gardner (painted by Chloe Cox), Carmen Munroe OBE (by Sonia Boyce), and Edna Henry (by Amy Sherald). First displayed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in June 2023, the exhibition later moved to the National Portrait Gallery in London and continues to tour the UK, most recently at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol from May to August 2024.rct+5

Vandalism in Brixton Square

The "Windrush Untold Stories" exhibition in Brixton's Windrush Square was vandalized on July 3, 2025, with all 20 portrait photographs slashed with a sharp instrument and daubed with green paint. The exhibition, which celebrated the legacy of the Windrush generation and was originally scheduled to run until July 10, had been installed just days earlier during the Big Caribbean Lunch event on Windrush Day (June 22). Following the incident, Metropolitan Police arrested a 24-year-old man on July 5 on suspicion of vandalism, later adding charges of racially aggravated criminal damage.news.yahoo+4

While organizers including Ros Griffiths, chair of Friends of Windrush Square, described the attack as a "blatant act of racial hatred" that caused "considerable distress" to the community, police controversially stated they did not believe the incident was racially motivated. The vandalized exhibition was subsequently restored and reinstalled with new prints produced by Photofusion, with its display extended until July 24. A crowdfunding campaign launched to cover the £15,000 restoration costs had raised over £7,625 by mid-July.theartnewspaper+5

Sonia Boyce's Artistic Contribution

Sonia Boyce OBE RA, a British Afro-Caribbean artist born in London in 1962, was among the ten distinguished artists commissioned by King Charles III to create portraits for the Windrush exhibition. Her contribution was a portrait of Carmen Esme Munroe OBE, who began drama classes after arriving in England in 1951 and later became a pioneering figure in British entertainment. Boyce's artistic practice, which spans over three decades, explores "the relationship between sound and memory, the dynamics of space, and incorporating the spectator," making her selection particularly fitting for this significant cultural project.npg+2

Throughout her career, Boyce has focused on the experiences of Black women living in white society, examining how religion, politics, and sexuality shape those experiences. Citing Frida Kahlo as an early influence, her work often reclaims caricature and challenges stereotypes. As Chair of Black Art and Design at University of the Arts London, Boyce's involvement in the Windrush portrait series represents not only her artistic prominence but also her commitment to highlighting diverse voices in British cultural heritage. Her works are displayed in prestigious institutions including The Tate Modern and The Victoria and Albert Museum.royal+1