Mapping Flow: Place, Identity, and the Rivers of London

 2016-17

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The Tree of Life, Lost Rivers of London, and River Thames form part of an ongoing body of work through which I explore the intersections of place, memory, and identity—both personal and collective. This series reflects a layered engagement with the city of London, viewed not only as a geographical space, but as a living organism shaped by movement, migration, and time.

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Using found maps, embroidery, and textile-based mark-making, I revisit the city's cartographic history to uncover the emotional and hidden geographies beneath its surface. These works are rooted in my own experience of living in London for nearly a decade—moving through its boroughs, forming attachments, and gradually understanding the layered complexity of a place that is always shifting yet deeply rooted.

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At the heart of this exploration is the River Thames—a vital artery and enduring natural presence that runs through the life of the city. More than a body of water, the Thames becomes a metaphor for transformation, coexistence, and continuity. Its ebb and flow reflect the transient yet recurring patterns of human presence: migration, settlement, adaptation, and renewal. The river embodies the way London holds space for outsiders, for their stories and contributions, allowing new identities to take root within the city's evolving narrative.

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The "lost rivers"—those buried waterways that once flowed freely but are now hidden beneath streets—echo forgotten or overlooked stories of the city. In uncovering and reimagining them through stitch and thread, I draw attention to what is erased or concealed, and what still quietly shapes our urban consciousness.

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The Tree of Life, recurring in this body of work, represents the city itself as a space of multiplicity and possibility. Like a tree, London absorbs, adapts, and regenerates—giving shape to identities even as it is shaped by them. It is a living archive of resilience, diversity, and the beauty of interconnection.

Through this work, I aim to reflect on how place holds us, how we carry place within us, and how identities—of both cities and individuals—are formed through a continuous dialogue between rootedness and fluidity, memory and movement.