Westminster alumnus and student support Jennie Baptiste's Somerset House exhibition on Black British youth culture

The internationally recognised exhibition spans three decades, from London’s dancehall scene to the rise of hip hop and R&B, and it offers a vital visual record of an evolving generation. It includes images of significant music artists including Mary J Blige, The Notorious B.I.G., Roots Manuva, Estelle, Ms Dynamite, NAS and Jay Z, as well as street portraits of icons from 1990s Brixton and beyond.

The exhibition also features Black Chains of Icon, a series exploring themes of Black identity, resilience and legacy through layered materials, historic quotes and experimental printing techniques.

Amy got involved as part of her work placement organised by the University. She shadowed Baptiste on the production of the exhibition as well as public events, assisting with behind-the-scenes preparations, supporting media interviews and talks, and liaising with technicians. She also helped with the private view guest list. This included various photographers, models and influential people such as Fashion Designer Wale Adeyemi MBE, Photographer, TV Presenter and DJ Normski, Capital Xtra’s DJ Semtex and Rob Birch from Stereo MC.  

A photo of Jake taken by Baptiste was featured in the exhibition, highlighting the importance of his work within the industry. As a celebrated music video director known for his work with artists such as Beyoncé, Adele and Arctic Monkeys, Jake’s participation brought an additional dimension to the exhibition, bridging the worlds of film, music and photography while showcasing the creative connections fostered through the University’s community.

Alongside the exhibition Jake spoke to Baptiste on an episode of the Passion & Hustle podcast, which was produced by the Westminster Enterprise Network (WeNetwork). The podcast invited a range of successful entrepreneurs, self-driven freelancers and motivated individuals to encourage listeners to hustle and turn their passion project into reality. Jake and Baptiste spoke about his journey within the film industry, starting with the early years, then his breakthrough moment, and finally, where he currently is in his career.

The private viewing of the exhibition, held on 16 October, was attended by Professor Dibyesh Anand, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Global Engagement and Employability, Linsey Cole, Director of Business Engagement and Graduate Futures, Laura Hughes, Head of Alumni and External Engagement, Clelia Bevillard, Senior Manager of Student Engagement and Enterprise Insights, and Amy Johnson.

This was followed by a private tour on 20 October attended by a group of second-year Photography students along with Jennie Baptiste and Laura Hughes. They had the chance to talk to Baptiste, who highlighted key topics such as contextualising the exhibition’s development through her practice and processes, which are deeply grounded in community, self-expression and representation. It also explored influences of heritage, empowerment, music, fashion, art, street style and identity, as well as her early practice developing a distinctive voice in the darkroom through experimentation with chemicals and paper.

Westminster Music students also visited the exhibition on 17 November with Senior Lecturer Professor Mykaell Riley for a tour to support their studies.

Baptiste said: “I am thankful for my journey and experience as it all contributes to evolving. It’s been great working with the students. My work covers genres that they engage in, so there is an alignment in terms of interest. The feedback from Gen-Z has been very positive as it has given them the opportunity to learn, explore and engage in various ways that they may not have been used to.”

Reflecting on the placement, Amy said: “This opportunity has been exceedingly influential towards my own work and led me to think more openly about my future.”  

Jake added: “I have always wanted to do more with my old university, but never actually managed to fit this in. However, when Jennie contacted me, it felt different. I always knew Jennie’s work, so when she reached out about the podcast and photoshoot, I was excited to say yes. The podcast remains one I recommend people listen to when they are interested in my career.

“More memorable is the photoshoot! I have sat for photographers over the years, but Jennie took a photo that felt unusually real and uncontrived, yet cool and flattering at the same time. You could say I’m not the easiest subject as I can’t turn that side of myself off that is imagining how the image will look, but Jennie caught a relaxed and optimistic vibe and is one of my favourite portraits anyone took of me recently. When she told me it was in her exhibition alongside artists and peers I respected, and some I had made videos for which changed my own career, that was the icing on the cake. So, the experience of working with Jennie stands out as truly great and something I learnt from.”

Baptiste’s work is also featured in the forthcoming inaugural V&A East exhibition titled The Music is Black: A British Story. This is opening in April 2026.

The exhibition will run until 4 January 2026 in Somerset House.

This student-colleague collaboration directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about Film and Television courses and Art, Design and Visual Culture courses at the University of Westminster.