We are delighted to announce that Colchester based artists Anisha Thampy and Dwarka Nath Sinha have been commissioned to illustrate the journeys, memories, and traditions of migrant communities who have made the city their home.

Essex Cultural Diversity Project has been working with Colchester and Ipswich Museums as part of the museum’s Hidden Histories programme, which aims to source and share community stories to inform new educational resources and reinterpret collections and legacies.

We have invited the artists to visually interpret and present stories around the universal ritual of sharing tea, using tea-related items in the museum’s collection from around the world as a starting point. We will also be drawing on research undertaken so far about the collection and contributions gathered from the community as part of our Colchester Tea Party project last year.

The illustrations will be inspired by the concept of community tea set, creating a space to hold stories of belonging, community and lived experience. This rich visual archive will transform personal histories into shared heritage, and collectively celebrate the many experiences that have made Colchester the vibrant, diverse place it is today.

“Tea is one of those things that, irrespective of how it arrived in a particular country or was always around, connects so many cultures from around the world. From the very sophisticated, sometimes ceremonial ways of drinking tea to no nonsense refreshing slurps on the side of the road, tea drinking is full of human stories of tradition, camaraderie, love and multiculturalism. As we make this beautiful city home with the support and love of some of our local friends and family here, it is our utmost pleasure to have this opportunity to bring some of the stories around tea to this beautiful community. We thank Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Colchester and Ipswich Museums for this opportunity and appreciate their endeavour towards curating these diverse stories.” Anisha Thampy and Dwarka Nath Sinha

“We are always looking for ways to tell the hidden histories behind our collections, and ensure that they are accessible and interesting to the many diverse communities of Colchester. We are very excited to have this opportunity to collaborate with Essex Cultural Diversity Project, and look forward to working with artists Dwarka and Anisha on this project.” Lisa Temple-Cox from Colchester and Ipswich Museums

About the Artists

Anisha Thampy is an interdisciplinary artist, designer and ceramicist based in Colchester, Essex. Her practice sits at the intersection of craft, technology and community engagement. Her practice explores ceramics, digital interaction and community participation on the themes of belonging, material knowledge, and ecological care. She brings over fifteen years of professional experience in graphic design, UX/UI and visual communication, with roles at Thoughtworks (London), Samsung Design (Delhi), Quicksand Design (Delhi) and Philips Design (Delhi), as well as independent consultancy for clients spanning social impact, education, tech, healthcare and publishing. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Design from NID, Ahmedabad and a BFA from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Anisha regularly exhibits and sells her ceramic work at local markets and exhibitions in Colchester and beyond. Her community practice in Colchester has included designing posters for Women Assemble (2024) and leading creative workshops at the Colchester’s Festival of Rice and Spice.

Now working full-time as an artist, she is a recipient of the Immersive Arts UK Experiment strand (2026) and is developing the project ‘Imprints of River Colne’, a multi-sensory ceramic installation. The project investigates how immersive art through touch, sound, and movement might cultivate renewed forms of attentiveness and restore embodied relationships with the places we inhabit. As part of the project, she is leading a series of walks and workshops along the river Colne, exploring environmental art practice through direct engagement with the landscape and community.

www.anisha-thampy.com | www.instagram.com/anishathampy

Dwarka Nath Sinha is a design generalist working across branding, iconography, illustration, hand lettering, information design, digital design and visual storytelling & documentation. He is currently based in Colchester working as an Instructional Designer at the University of Essex. Some of the brands and organisations he has worked for include The Guardian, The University of Manchester, UNICEF, WWF, Pro Helvetia and the German Embassy in India. His illustrated work has been published on the Guardian UK website reminiscing the unique experience of travelling on the Kolkata Metro. Dwarka has designed and illustrated a digital graphic novella for the University of Manchester and UK-Med campaigning for the urgent needs of the humanitarian sector affected by the climate emergency. Currently, He is wrapping up an illustrated sketchnote-style zine of some of his mother’s recipes called ‘A Mother’s Heirloom’. Besides volunteering for selected community organisations, he is also exploring printmaking at Colchester Makerspace. He has been chronicling and celebrating everyday life through his illustrations and words on his blog and social media. He also aspires to be able to draw sketchnotes live.

www.dwarkanathsinha.com | www.instagram.com/dwar.ka

Anisha and Dwarka also have an independent creative practice called Unibrow Creative Lab, where they pool in their diverse and deep experience in design and art for people and brands who are looking to tell their human stories.

www.unibrowcreativelab.com