Local Artist Celebrates British Museum Feature

Jersey-born artist Emily Allchurch has expressed her excitement after her complete Tokyo Story series was acquired by the British Museum for its permanent collection.

Two of the 12 digital collage works will go on public display from 1 May to 7 September, with one featuring in the Hiroshige: Artist of the Open Road exhibition and the other showcased in the museum’s Japanese gallery.

Allchurch, who has spent 25 years building her career as a professional artist, is best known for her intricate digital collages—compositions built from layered photography that often reinterpret historic art. Her Tokyo Story series draws inspiration from Utagawa Hiroshige’s celebrated 19th-century woodblock collection, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

“What I love about Hiroshige’s work is how he captured everyday life—not just the famous landmarks, but the places that held meaning for people,” Allchurch said. “That really resonates with me.”

Having grown up in Jersey, Allchurch credits her early creative support to mentors at Jersey College for Girls and funding from the Jersey government.

“I’m incredibly grateful,” she said. “It’s thrilling and such an honour to be part of the British Museum’s collection—especially alongside original Hiroshige prints.”

Locals will also get the chance to view five works from the Tokyo Story series closer to home when Big in Japan opens at Private & Public Gallery on 16 May. The exhibition will also feature contemporary giants like Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst.