Zarna Hart

Zarna Hart is a lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, specializing in design history with a focus on Caribbean perspectives and alternative archival practices. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, her heritage has profoundly shaped her academic approach to documenting history through non-traditional frameworks.

• Completed MA in History of Design at Royal College of Art/V&A in 2023
• Former graphic designer with seven years industry experience
• Research focuses on knowledge transmission in Caribbean communities
• Active curator of design exhibitions in London venues

Hart's research challenges conventional Western archival practices by examining how history is carried through conversations and memory rather than institutional preservation. Her work explores the intersection of design history, decolonial approaches, and oral culture, with particular attention to the Windrush generation's print and oral traditions.

As an educator, she has developed specialized programs addressing attainment gaps for graphic design students from global majority communities. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes creating dedicated spaces for students to strengthen their practice and build confidence as designers. Hart has also completed research placements at the V&A, working with curatorial teams on design history projects.

• Co-curated 'Do You Buy This?' exhibition at Ugly Duck (2023)
• Co-curated 'Keep In Touch' exhibition at Host of Leyton (2023)
• Co-founded MRKT stall & display featured at SOLD OUT Fair (2025)
• Spoke at Industry Leaders Talk at Run That Back (2024)

Hart advocates for knowledge exchange that creates opportunities for Caribbean communities to develop their own perspectives on history and design, challenging the notion that decolonization discourse is equally relevant in Caribbean contexts where colonial structures persist.