Sally Rosser, former Deputy Head (Pastoral) and Housemistress, attended the opening night of late Rugbeian Khadija Saye’s exhibition and reflects here on her experience of the event.

“I was delighted, and genuinely touched, to have been asked by the School to represent them at the February opening night of an exhibition of the work of Khadija Saye (St 08-10), so appropriately titled Following a Fleeting Star. I accepted the invitation without hesitation and arrived in the cobbled square in Pedralbes, Barcelona, just as the afternoon light was fading, which made the setting feel even more evocative.

The evening began with a fascinating discussion about Khadija as a person and as an artist. The conversation featured Elena Martinez, who has curated the exhibition with great thought and sensitivity, and Nicola Green, Khadija’s Artistic Mentor, who knew her well.

The publicity material on the website describes Khadija as a “daughter of the diaspora who grew up in a multicultural environment… and used photography as a medium to explore identity, memory and the spiritual dimension of Black experience.” The exhibition is set within the beautiful Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes, a location that feels extremely fitting.

Many of you will be aware that Khadija tragically died, along with her mother, in the Grenfell Tower fire, and much of her work was lost with her. However, considerable effort has gone into successfully retrieving some of her digital pieces, many of which are on display, alongside artefacts that depict her life within the community.

Every piece evokes a strong emotional response but particularly striking for me were Khadija’s early works - photographic pieces of her, her family and her life in Ladbroke Grove. I was also moved by the mini‑documentary presented by Rachel Carr, Chief Executive and co-founder of IntoUniversity, which captures Khadija’s time at IntoUniversity in photographs. She attended the Clement-James Centre regularly from a young age and remained very connected and active within the team there up until her death. The film also includes interviews with young people at the Centre who are now benefitting from the Khadija Saye Arts Bursary.

The exhibition runs until 31 May 2026, and I would recommend it as a “must-see” for anyone visiting Barcelona in the coming months. As the website states:

“This exhibition seeks to open doors, as she herself did… and to offer a global perspective on a promising young woman who, like a shooting star, left an indelible mark as an artist and as a person deeply committed to her community.”

Further information about the exhibition is available here.