Davinia Clarke: Exploring identity through creativity
- Written byEllen Partridge
- Published date 26 February 2025
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Following a visit to her late grandmother’s home in Jamaica, Davinia Clarke was inspired to learn more about her grandparents’ story.
Her graduate project 'Home-body' focuses on themes of family, migration and identity and was selected to feature on the cover of the 2026/2027 undergraduate prospectus.
Through 'Home-body', Davinia explores her heritage as a third-generation child of the Jamaican diaspora in Britain. It’s a great example of how our students use their creativity to explore their identity.
From photographer to printmaker
Davinia has always enjoyed documentary photography and has captured many family moments over the years. But she also enjoyed a range of other creative subjects at school, including sculpture, film and fine art.
When she discovered BA Illustration and Visual Media at London College of Communication during a UAL Insights programme, Davinia was excited to find a degree course which encouraged experimentation with a range of media.
“What I loved about my course was that they introduced us to print. I’d done a bit of lino cutting before, but it wasn't to this level. Seeing the set up and everything was really cool. That's where I started to fall in love with print.”
In particular, she found a passion for mono screen printing, the art of painting directly onto screens and building layers of colour and pattern.
She was drawn to the hazy, dreamlike quality of the prints, which look almost like memories captured in an artwork.
Preserving legacy through art
For her final project, Davinia found a way to combine both photography and mono screen printing to retell her family’s story.
Following her grandmother’s funeral in Jamaica, Davinia photographed moments spent with her family and her grandmother’s home.
“I wasn't sure if I was going to see my grandma's house in Jamaica again. I realised that a part of my history and of the family puzzle is now missing because I can't go to my grandma and ask questions... [Home-body] was about keeping her memory alive, understanding her character, the legacy she left behind and the lives that she touched.”
She started having conversations with her mum about her grandma’s life. They exchanged stories, reminiscing together on memories from both West London and Jamaica.
She recorded the conversations, looked through old photos and slowly pieced together her grandmother’s story, seeing visual connections between her grandparents’ homes in Jamaica and West London. They shared similar colours, decor and furniture, signifying her family’s movement and connection between places which are far apart.
“I realised that there were a lot of key colours - lots of reds, greens and blues. I started replicating the imagery, using these colours to paint onto the screen.”
Using a vibrant colour palette selected from her photos, Davinia created a strong visual narrative between each print. ‘Home-body’ encourages the audience to resonate with themes of migration, identity, and connection, and reflect on their own experiences.
Fostering Connection and Community
Getting to learn more about her grandparents’ story was a valuable outcome of 'Home-body' for Davinia and she felt a strong reconnection with her Caribbean heritage. But she found this project gave her much more.
“I think with our generation now, we're kind of moving into individualism. This project helped me relearn the importance of being with people, talking and connecting with them.”
“My mum told me that when my grandma lived in West London, there would always be people staying in the home, or she’d be cooking for people. That generation went through hell in Britain and they needed their community to have a safe space... what I’ve gained from the project is learning to not just be by myself.”
Since graduating, Davinia has had a chance to build her confidence connecting with others, through her professional role as a Community Engagement Officer for Creative Shift at UAL. Creative Shift delivers a programme of opportunities to enhance personal and professional development for UAL students.
Davinia first engaged with Creative Shift as a student, undertaking the Women+ of Colour in Leadership programme during her work placement year. Now, she’s enjoying being on the other side and supporting students to achieve their potential.
“My work involves trying to measure and build up the community amongst students, providing a kind of space, either online or in person and being the first point of contact to talk to them if they're shy or nervous.”
She is also enjoying connecting with fellow printmakers through residencies at Print Club London and East London Printmakers, as well as being part of a growing creative community in West London connected via the Martinware Collective Curatorship programme in Ealing.
Through her printmaking, her work with Creative Shift and her engagement with creative communities across London, Davinia hopes to inspire others to have open dialogue, reconnect with family and identity and encourage creativity.
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You can find out more about Davinia’s work and explore the prints, photos and films she produced for ‘Home-body’ on UAL showcase and her website
Discover more about undergraduate study at UAL, including how to apply, funding and the student experience.
Davinia features on the front cover of the latest UAL Undergraduate Prospectus. If you’re in the UK, order your copy to read more student stories and explore UAL Undergraduate and Pre-degree taught courses by subject area.