Anh Tran

Threading Solidarity with Heritage Craft, Workshops & Exhibition - workshop participant & artist

Celebrating Nokshi Katha embroidery as a heritage craft of solidarity, connection and storytelling in this collaborative group exhibition

Originating from Bangladesh, Nokshi Katha or ‘Kantha’ embroidery is one of the oldest forms of embroidery in the world. It is a beautiful and meditative craft which upcycles old cloth and materials such as saris into elaborate and brightly coloured embroidered pieces. In celebration of Women’s History Month, this exhibition will showcase Nokshi Katha embroidery skilfully crafted by a group of women as part of the Katha embroidery course at St Margaret’s House. The group meet weekly for 10-weeks, facilitated by sustainable fashion and textile designer Shama Kun. Many members of the group have never partaken in Nokshi Katha embroidery previously, but through the course have become skilled embroiders and developed a love for the craft. Like many textile traditions, Nokshi Katha celebrates the creativity and resourcefulness of women gathering in community. Over the term, the group have created a supportive space of sharing stories, cultures and skills, where many hands have come together create a collective quilt. The group have stitched motifs and messages of hope, peace and solidarity, and will present both the quilt as well as individual pieces they have designed and produced throughout the course. 

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During our workshops we all created an embroidered panel each on the theme of solidarity and activism, and was encouraged to also add in our cultures/languages onto the pieces. Meeting every Friday, we created a safe space where we could be vulnerable, share stories, encourage each other and help each other out with the different types of stitches and singing birthday songs together. I feel fortunate to have met these supportive and lovely people. So a big shoutout to: Shama, Lauren, Kayleigh, Stephanie, Cai, Alison, Jay, Anwara, Jenny, Vera, Solgang, Pam, Lamis & Sarah.

My panel simply says: No to walls, no to borders, plants won't follow law & order. 破圍牆, 無國界, 植物不需法與治.

Thanks to Alison Hui for helping me with the Cantonese translation.

____________________________ The collective quilt has been displayed at: Poplar Union Feb 2026 St Margaret’s House Mar 2026 The People’s Letters Summer 2026   

Sweet Wrappers Weaving x Bookbinding Workshop at SEEAC - workshop facilitator

A creative and hands-on workshop, where participants designed and weaved their own unique notebook covers. Participants were encouraged to bring sweet wrappers that have meaning to them to incorporate in their covers and then make the notebook, which they were able to take home.

Southeast & East Asian Centre (SEEAC) is a community organisation run by and for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Southeast and East Asia, as well as people of these heritages living in the UK.

Nice to Sweet You: Candy Wrapper x Screen Print Scrap Weaving Workshop - workshop facilitator

As part of Peckham Festival 2025 - The Publishing Edition, I facilitated the Nice to Sweet You: Candy Wrapper x Screen-Print Scrap Weaving Workshop at Sonsoles Print Studio. Using offcut papers donated by John Purcell Papers, screen printed paper scraps from Sonsoles Print Studio and sweet wrappers that have been donated to me. I showed participants how to weave the wrappers and print scraps together and then helped them to make an Open French Link stitched mini notebook that they got to take home with them.

This Home is My Own Exhibition - artist

I had the pleasure to showcase my Chinese takeaway collage artworks alongside Ming Hai zine. All Chinese takeaways featured are long standing family run takeaways in London, UK.

Clitbait presents This Home is My Own is an exhibition and event marking one year since the 2024 race riots - a time of profound violence, grief and resistance. We gather to celebrate the creativity and care that continue to carry us forward.

Featuring work by visual artists responding to the themes of home, identity and resilience, the evening also included live poetry, music and presentations.

This was a joyful and welcoming space - a chance to gather, share stories and celebrate the communities we build together.

Artists featured: Melody Akanji Farwa Tahir Mashkoor kamipaper Raabia Ghaznavi Ayshe-mira Yashin

Clitbait is an intersectional feminist community and events platform. They aim to create supportive, inclusive and kind events where women, trans and non-binary people of different ethnicities, cultures, sexualities, classes, disabilities and religions can unwind together, be creative and have their voices heard.

Veggie Print Notebook Workshop for Centre 151 Open Day & SenseScapes x London Design Festival - workshop facilitator

Using collected veg scraps and cardboard food packaging as creative sensory play, participants would print the veg shapes and textures onto the covers and then use a simple bookbinding stitch to create a mini upcycled notebook. All veg, string and paper waste was kept and taken back to my garden compost so that with time, it will turn back into soil and be used to plant veggies in my garden.

I facilitated the workshop at Centre 151 Open Day which was to shared Vietnamese culture through food, performances and workshops for East & South East Asian Heritage Month and SenseScapes by MA Curating Contemporary Design at Kingston University for London Design Festival - a group exhibition and public programme that treats memory, care, and solidarity as perceptual capacities by showcasing creative practice as sensorium and archive.

Photos by kamipaper & May Cheng

Guangxi Guerrilla Farmers Zine - photos, words and design

I made this observational photography zine about my time in Guangxi, China where I encountered gardening patches in public spaces by guerrilla farmers. I enjoyed looking out for them during my walks and my heart fills with joy when I see the veggies growing, nurtured by the farmers.

• A5 portrait • 28 pages full colour • Edition of 100 (numbered) • Printed in the UK by Print Work

Special thanks to Alwayshing for the Chinese to English translation. Available to purchase on Etsy

Borderless by Hand: Collective Zine Making Workshop for Immigrants - workshop facilitator

In May 2025, the UK government introduced a new contributions-based immigration model, extending the route to settlement from 5 to 10 years and declaring that "living in the UK is a privilege that must be earned." This year also marks the 1st anniversary of the 2024 far-right anti-immigration riots. In response to this increasingly hostile environment towards migrants, and the broader resurgence of conservatism, we had organised a zine-making workshop. Alongside participants, we shared stories of migration, diaspora, displacement and visa/border issues in a safe environment, by using our hands we expressed it creatively through zine-making and creating passport sized zines where we imagine there would be no borders and reflecting on them afterwards. Thank you to Good Growth Hub for letting us use your space to be vulnerable and creative.

Sept 2025

About the facilitators: Alwayshing is a community artist and historical researcher. She collaborates with artists from diverse migrant backgrounds to organise monthly textile+ workshops that combine textiles with various artistic media.

kamipaper is an upcycle bookbinder, community artist and arts facilitator.

Ngon Quá, Recipes of Life - participant

Ngon Quá (which means very delicious in Vietnamese) is a community cooking project by British Vietnamese artist Will Pham inspired by Recipes of Life, facilitated by Dr Lili Ly and Dr Angela Byrne, and commissioned by Deptford X Arts Festival.

Throughout the Summer, 2nd generation Vietnamese & Chinese/Vietnamese community participants met up in Deptford, London (where there is a large Vietnamese community) to collectively cook a recipe each week and reflect on their Vietnamese heritage through 'Recipes of Life'. We used food to reflect on memories, story sharing and intergenerational healing, within the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

We also took a trip to Margate, a seaside town in Kent, UK with the 1st generation elders. At the end of the project, we collectively made a metaphorical recipe of life to reflect us as 2nd generation British Vietnamese and we chose to make a recipe for belonging.

All this accumulated into a 3 channel multi-video installation of the Elderly Luncheon Club at the Evelyn Community Centre, a cooking session with the 2nd generation community and the Margate trip. The video installation was shown as part of Deptford X Arts Festival in July 2025.

Crochet x Bookbinding Workshop - workshop facilitator

Flooat Studio x kamipaper UPCYCLED II Bookbinding Workshop - workshop facilitator

After the happy collaboration with Flooat Studio in May, I was invited back again into the tearoom for another upcycled bookbinding workshop in the Autumn. Participants were welcomed into the space with a cup of healthy tea by Flooat Studio and a dim sum snack. They then sifted through the collection of sweet wrappers that kamipaper had collected, to choose wrappers that they wanted to weave onto their mini notebook covers. Participants were also encouraged to bring wrappers that they would like to incorporate onto their covers, whether nostalgic or from their cultures. After weaving the selected wrappers onto their covers, we then made a mini coptic bound notebook together that the participants got to take home.

This collaboration came together again as the feedback we got was encouraging and lovely. We created the workshop to be therapeutic, meditative and slow, as city life can be so fast moving. It was great to see everyone engaged in conversations with their neighbours and having thoughtful conversations during the workshop.

I am deeply grateful to Flooat Studio for always opening up their space and for being so supportive during the preparation and actual workshop.

Ming Hai Takeaway Shop Front for RIOT SOUP x The Other Art Fair 2024 - mixed media collage illustration

Ming Hai Takeaway Shop Front is an A4 landscape collage illustration of the shop front that is featured on the cover of Ming Hai Zine, which is about a family run Chinese takeaway in East London. I wanted to add a bit of the takeaway in the artwork as I felt like the textures would help elevate the artwork, so I incorporated aluminium food trays and a plastic bag from the takeaway in it. RIOT SOUP was invited to be a featured partner for the 100th edition of The Other Art Fair at the Truman Brewery and brought the community artists along for the ride, Ming Hai Takeaway shop front was selected to be part of that showcase. Thanking Asma and the RIOT SOUP crew for all the kind encouragement and help for exhibiting at the art fair. RIOT SOUP is a collective made up of black and brown women artists in London, UK. It was founded in 2019 as a grassroots, bottom up solution to addressing racism and inequality in the arts.

Beanfeast 2024 Programme Leaflet - design, page layout, collage & illustration

The term "Beanfeast" dates back to 6th July 1773, when King George III arrived at Woolwich by barge and proclaimed an annual holiday after enjoying an open-air feast of beans and bacon. Woolwich Works' modern Beanfeast was a unique recreation of the feast, 251 years later, with a food-filled programme curated by food writer Anna Sulan Masing. I had a happy chance to work with Anna again and first time working with Woolwich Works. I was asked to create the programme leaflet for the festival and they were very open with the brief, I decided to do a collage artwork for the cover with a cute playfulness of the beans and bacon, with bright and cheerful Summer holiday colours running throughout. The programme consisted of the layout of Woolwich Works and the schedule for all the talks, workshops, makers market and live music. Thanking Anna and Allison from Woolwich Works for this Summer project, and for being open and engaging with my designs.

Flooat Studio x kamipaper UPCYCLED I Bookbinding Workshop - workshop facilitator

An upcycled bookbinding and weaving workshop in collaboration with Flooat Studio. Participants were welcomed into the space with a cup of healthy tea by Flooat Studio and Malaysian sweet treats by Sueperlicious. Participants then sifted through the collection of sweet wrappers that kamipaper had collected, to choose wrappers that they wanted to weave onto their mini notebook covers. Participants were also encouraged to bring wrappers that they would like to incorporate onto their covers, whether nostalgic or from their cultures. After weaving the selected wrappers onto their covers, we then made a mini coptic bound notebook together that the participants got to take home.

This collaboration came together as we wanted to have a workshop that could be therapeutic, meditative and to slow down especially as city life can be so fast moving. It was also a way to engage everyone to converse with their neighbours and have thoughtful conversations during the workshop.

It was the first time for me to showcase this workshop using upcycled sweet wrappers combined with coptic binding, thanking Flooat Studio for suggesting I teach a workshop like this and for being so encouraging and supportive during the preparation and actual workshop. Photo credits: kamipaper, Flooat Studio & Alison Hui.

Nana's House Installation, London College of Fashion - Community Co-Curator

Nana's House is an interactive living room installation, as part of Designed for Life which coincided with the opening of the new campus in Stratford, East London, UK.

The living room reflects and represents a broad heterogeneity of lives and experiences in East London told through a fictional family gathered on a Sunday afternoon at Nana's house, using artefacts and QR-linked soundscapes to represent each family member.

"Nana's one of a kind, and so is her house. It's Sunday afternoon, and her Leytonstone Victorian terrace is at capacity. Mum, dad, uncle and Grandad congregate around the jollof, but I'm more interested in the sweet, spiced tea and homemade samosas that have made a regular appearance here since we took in a lodger - an Indian-Muslim exchange student from Hyderabad.

My grandparents have lived here long before I was born. The walls tell the tale of an exuberant young textile worker arriving in London in 1960, fresh from Ondo State, Nigeria, with an infatuation with the latest in fashion and design. Over the years my mum has tried to add some modern toches; working in finance, she began to share her wealth in the late 80s with a new TV and sofa - much to the apathy of Grandad, who only believes in fixing what is broken.

Grandad was a print worker, a determined trade unionist whose career ended at age 48 with a labour dispute on Wapping High Street in 1987. A "real East Londoner born within earshot of the Bow Bells", he fought the resurgence of fascism around Ridley Road Market with the 62 Group and got bruised, whilst mourning the death of his and nana's first newborn, in battles against Oswold Mosely.

He tells stories of how he fell in love with Nana in 1961 to a soundtrack of Marvin Gaye. They triumphed against melancholy and fell deeper in love. In 1966, they celebrated the World Cup win for England together, of which West Ham players were an integral factor!

Having spent the summer away from my parents, I am inspired by the community and political strength of my grandparents. I collide with my parents' capitalist complicity - working in government and global trade; they mock my uncle who gave himself earnestly and entirely to the rave scene of Lea Valley." Soundbites of the family members: • A phone call to the lodger - shopping in Ilford as a Pakistani woman • Grandson - Teenage Frustrations • Grandad - The History Of An East London Print Worker • Nana - A Nigerian Matriarch • Uncle - Cultural History Of The East London Rave Scene • Mum - Affluence, Influence & Merit • Lodger - Far From Home • Bonus

Nana's House was created by lead curator Dr Leila Nassereldein and co-curated by community members Pallavi Chamarty, Omolara Obanishola, Dave Sohanpal and Anh Tran. Supported by Dr Michael McMillan

DIY upcycling fabrics 101 - weave a mini wall hanging and coaster - workshop facilitator

Flour & Mush (人生總有堆肥) by Emily Wong - Props & Embroidery on papers

Flour & Mush is a stop-motion animation by Hong Kong animator Emily Wong. Production started in 2019 and Emily hoped to find ways to communicate the troubled times and to create meaning. The film is about an encounter between a sack of flour and a broken tree trunk—depicting unexpectedness in everyday life. 製作於 2019 年的香港，希望能在亂世當中尋找創造意義。故事講述一袋麵粉和一根斷裂樹幹之間的相遇—描繪了日常生活中的無法預期。

明 Ming Hai 海 Zine - design, research, text & illustration

Ming Hai is a 34 year old Chinese takeaway in Hackney, London UK, run by the Chan family. All the family members contributed stories or illustrations and photos from the archives about what it is like to live and work in a Chinese takeaway, whether as an immigrant or a second-generation takeaway kid. This zine is a love letter to the takeaway and to takeaway kids worldwide. After the amazing response to the first edition and running low on zines, I decided to do a second edition but instead of a straight reprint, this edition comes with additional content and a sticker. An independent published zine by kamipaper. • A5 Landscape • English and a tiny bit of Cantonese • 24 pages full colour • 200-250gsm recycled card cover • 100gsm recycled paper • Shop front sticker

Special thanks to: - Lauren Siobhan - Vivien Chan - Rio Cinema Archives  - Isola Press  - Alan Denney 

Available at: • Migration Museum - Lewisham, London UK • Museum of the Home - Hoxton, London UK • Housmans Bookshop - Kings Cross, London UK • Burley Fisher Books - Haggerston, London UK • Books - Peckham, London UK • Migration Museum - Lewisham, London UK • Hackney Chinese Community Services - Hackney, London UK • The Steamroom - Haggerston, London UK • Pushkin House - Bloomsbury, London UK • South London Gallery - Peckham, London UK • Ming Hai Takeaway - Hackney, London UK • Newbridge Projects - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK • Wing On Wo & Co - New York, USA • kamipaper Etsy Shop  - Worldwide