To restore the subjectivity and individuality of Black figures often overlooked in 18th- and 19th-century European paintings, Lubaina Himid created 100 life-sized cut-outs with vibrant and intricately crafted collages to represent Black figures in diverse professions. This gallery features ten representative figures from this series. Each figure is accompanied by a self-introduction that serves as a platform for self-expression for the Black communities historically silenced by colonial narratives.

The "money" in the title alludes to the wealth European colonial powers had accumulated through the transatlantic slave trade, which was built on the exploitation of African slaves. During this period of colonial history, European nations often “named” and defined the identity and culture of the colonized. Himid, however, reverses this perspective by posing the question: who has the authority to define history and the ownership of wealth? By challenging the power structures of colonial history, Himid seeks to reclaim the original names of the oppressed, ensuring that their memories are acknowledged and given the recognition they deserve.

Before creating Blue Grid Test, Himid had collaborated with sound artist Magda Stawarska on works such as Reduce the Time Spent Holding, Old Boat, New Money and Naming the Money in order to explore the synthesis of visual and auditory expressions. In this piece, Lubaina Himid drew inspiration from the pop song Blue by Joni Mitchell and created a long painted strip featuring 64 different blue patterns from around the world. Stawarska composed a poetic soundscape with phrases describing the color blue read by Himid in English, French, and Flemish—French and Flemish being the two languages spoken in Brussels, where the work was first presented.

Himid and Stawarska responded to the rhythm of the song Blue with their respective mediums, blending visual patterns and auditory textures. Himid' s patterns allow us to "see" the music, while Stawarska’s soundscape enable us to "hear" the color. Together, the two mediums work in harmony to enhance each other and create a multi-sensory experience for the viewers.

The inspiration for the "Plan B" series comes from a two-month residency she had taken in St. Ives, a small seaside town in the southwest of England often referred to as the birthplace of British modernism. For Himid, the sea embodies both the joy of childhood holidays and the profound pain endured by the captured Africans during the Middle Passage. In this series, Himid interweaves her observations of the water and the sky during her residency with imagined enclosed interior spaces, which symbolize surveillance and the control exerted by authority. At the same time, these spaces—along with scattered tables and chairs—offer a sense of sanctuary for the displaced Black communities, providing a venue for collective dialogue and collaboration to imagine new possibilities for the future. On the left side of the composition, excerpts of text narrate the pain and hope of arduous escapes. While these passages feel reminiscent of classic literary works, they are in fact drawn from the artist' s own writing. Though the text and images are not directly connected, they come together to construct a space rich in historical narrative and imaginative possibility for viewers.

The title for this series is drawn from African-American writer Chester B. Himes' s eponymous novel titled Plan B. As Himid explains, Himes' s work "exposes the dilemma of deciding whether to endure the dangers of a current violent situation or risk life-threatening events during the process of escape." The novel offers a sharp critique of the precarious position endured by Black communities throughout history. Just as the phrase "Plan B" signifies an alternative strategy, it acknowledges that colonized and marginalized groups must seek other ways to survive and resist within unequal social structures. "Plan B" also carries a "backup" perspective outside the dominant narratives of Western history and creates a space for self-expression. For instance, the title of Havana Night School (Plan B) refers to Cuba' s capital as a hub of Black cultural and artistic awakening that has fostered a sense of self-consciousness and self-discovery among African diasporic communities in the Caribbean. Informal learning spaces such as night schools not only challenge colonial education systems, but also reexamine and reconstruct established cultural frameworks.

The "Feast Wagon" series is a collaborative work by Lubaina Himid and Susan Walsh. Himid repurposed discarded wooden furniture into a variety of wagons and painted their surfaces with exotic species such as spiders, snakes, and scorpions.

When this series was exhibited in Leeds in the UK in 2015, Europe was facing its most severe refugee crisis since World War II. The fear-inducing animals on the wagons evoke associations with immigrants who are often dehumanized and labeled as "the other," or even as enemies by right-wing politicians. Forced to flee their homes, refugees often carry only minimal belongings, compressing all memories of their past identities and hopes for the future into these cramped and humble spaces. Here, the artist invites us to reflect: "What would we do if this happened to us?"

In the "Street Sellers" series, Lubaina Himid merges 17th-century prints of London street vendors with her personal observations of modern urban life, crafting characters that move through time and space. Throughout Western art history, large-scale full-body portraits have been typically reserved for glorified depictions of the nobility. Black figures are often relegated to insignificant roles or depicted as symbols of the main subject’s wealth.

In contrast, Himid elevates ordinary street sellers into dignified protagonists of grand portraiture, elegantly showcasing their outfits and professions. These individuals, who may never have been included in the canon of art history, are now vividly brought to life. They appear as actors on a theatrical stage; their postures and vibrant clothing exude presence and vitality, transcending racial and class boundaries to tell their rich and dynamic life stories. The goods they carry are rendered with equally intricate details, serving as talismans that preserve and pass down collective memories and emotions through every transaction.