New artwork by Turner Prize winner, Jasleen Kaur

A new public artwork developed by Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur in collaboration with local people has been installed at Cygnet Square. The installation, which took place in November 2025, adds to the growing number of art works around Thamesmead, which are part of Peabody’s wider cultural programme.

Was. Is. Will Be. was commissioned by five young creatives between 2022-2024. The work is inspired by members of the community who took part in cooking workshops as part of the project and shared their memories of the area and their hopes for the future.

What does the artwork look like?

The artwork features a community poem which will be etched into the ground across the main square, leading to a large weathervane by the lake edge. The poem pays tribute to some key moments and places in Thamesmead’s rich history. The weathervane displays the words ‘Horses are Here’, the final line of the poem and a tribute to the Travelling community’s horses that have grazed in Thamesmead for decades.

How it was created

Jasleen was commissioned to create the artwork by a group of five Thamesmead residents, Shalini Panchal, Comfort Adeneye, Gonzalo Fuentes, Qozeem Lawal, and Whitney Manassian. Working as a creative studio and collaborating with local people, they have helped shape an artwork that honours Thamesmead’s past, present and future.

Speaking at the beginning of the project, the creative studio said: “This opportunity to commission new artworks as a team is really ambitious, and it gives us the unique chance to make sure the work produced represents where we’re from, who we are, and what we’re about.”

The project was conceived by creative agency Studio Danmole, public art consultant Company, Place and youth culture specialist Joseph Gray. The partnership provided a paid learning programme in which the Thamesmead team gained practical expertise – from researching and brief writing to artist selection – helping prepare them for a future in the creative industry.

Related projects

Two art exhibitions by three artists involved in this project are currently on display in Cygnet Square. Meet the artists behind these pieces.