TESSA HUNKIN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE FOR THE MOSAIC PROJECT
The Project
This spring, we are embarking on an ambitious community mosaic project.
The project will create five mosaic panels and accompanying signage, designed by lead artist Tessa Hunkin and produced through a programme of community workshops. The final artworks will form a striking, long-term feature in the soon-to-be heritage garden at Alice Billing House, celebrating both the building’s past and the creativity it continues to inspire today.
We will invite the local community to help create two of the mosaic panels, as well as the way-finding sign, through a hands-on workshop series running over three months, from March to May. These sessions will take place in a specially dedicated shop unit in the Market Village at Stratford Centre.
The lead artist, Tessa Hunkin, is known for leading the acclaimed community mosaic at Shepherdess Walk in Hackney.
Helping with the project will be Rada Stilianova. Rada joined The Hackney Mosaic Project as an assistant to Tessa and has since taught at the Royal Academy, Working Men's College, and City Lit.
Be Part of the Project
Participants will:
Learn mosaic-making techniques from lead artist Tessa Hunkin, who previously led the acclaimed community mosaic at Shepherdess Walk in Hackney.
Take part in weekly sessions, each lasting 3 hours. Held in a dedicated space in Market Village, Stratford Centre, Unit 28
The sessions will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays afternoons, 2 pm-5 pm, between March and the end of May
Contribute directly to the creation of a meaningful, lasting artwork at Alice Billing House, a heritage artist studio in Startford
Be part of a welcoming, creative, collaborative environment, no experience required.
Join us on the 3rd of March, 2 pm-4.30 pm for a mosaic workshop taster session at Unit 28 at Stratford Market Village. BOOK HERE or contact marguerite@growstudios.co.uk to sign up and find out more.
About Tessa Hunkin
Tessa Hunkin trained and worked as an architect before joining Emma Biggs at Mosaic Workshop in 1989. Together they built up a thriving mosaic studio, undertaking public and private commissions for a wide range of clients, including the Sultan of Oman, Westminster Cathedral and Aston Villa Football Club. She has collaborated on a number of books about mosaic and exhibited at both solo and mixed shows. She is interested in figurative and representational work, and was long fascinated by the history and tradition of mosaic, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of the Late Classical and Early Christian era. In 2011 she set up the Hackney Mosaic Project to make large-scale public mosaics with vulnerable adults, including people in recovery from mental health and addiction problems. Together they have worked on commissions for many different clients, including Hackney Council, London Zoo and Sainsbury’s. Their work was selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2024 and a new book, published in 2025 by Spitalfields Life, celebrates their work over the past 14 years, ‘Tessa Hunkin’s Hackney Mosaic Project’
The Residency
“The residency at Alice Billing House is a great opportunity to work with a new group of people and introduce them to the pleasures of mosaic making. It is a unique technique with a longer history than almost any other artistic medium. It is also quite easy to get started and doesn’t require great skill or experience. The cutting tools are very simple and the materials- glass and ceramic - are not too hard or sharp. The only vital requirement is patience because building up images out of small - usually about 1cm, pieces is a slow business. But this is also its great attraction because the gentle, methodical task is very calming and satisfying. It allows people to talk while they work, to make new friends, and to work together with a common purpose. The finished pieces will be displayed at Alice Billings House, where their work will be admired by the wider community and create a lasting testament to their hours of careful labour.”- Tessa Hunkin
“At Alice Billing House, I'm excited to embrace my role as a sub lead during this residency, viewing it as a vibrant canvas for collaborative creation rather than individual success. Mosaic invites residents to engage at their own pace, ensuring everyone feels their contribution is valued.
The process unfolds gradually, allowing time for conversation and shared moments. Participation is flexible, and every piece contributes to a larger whole. Ultimately, the work is made with the residents, reflecting their voices and experiences.
Once complete, the mosaic will remain at Alice Billing House as a symbol of our time together and the importance of collective effort, recognisable and appreciated by the wider community.”- Rada Stilianova
Shepherdess Walk in Hackney