Monday Muse

Interview Director of Architecture, Design, and Fashion at the British Council, Sevra Davis

Interview

Sevra Davis

05 May 2025

Interview

Sevra Davis

05 May 2025

This week, The Wick celebrates the inspiring achievements of Sevra Davis, Director of Architecture, Design and Fashion at the British Council and Commissioner of the 2025 British Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Educated at Yale University, Aalto University and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Davis went on to hold leadership positions at the Design Museum and Royal Society for the Arts. An experienced architect, design advocate and champion for social change in the industry, Davis has long fostered cross-cultural connections and opportunities for collaboration. Before Davis heads to Venice for the grand unveiling of the British Pavilion this week, Davis shares more about the work she does for the British Pavilion, the experiences that have shaped her ideas, and what her ambitions for the future in the field.

THE WICK: What does a typical Monday look like for you?

Sevra Davis: I am not sure there is a typical Monday, which I like, but if my schedule allows, I start the week and workdays generally with a walk in the park. I started walking before work during Covid and have tried to keep it up. I love being out in nature and picking up a coffee before sitting down at my laptop for the day.

At the moment, we have a 9am meeting every Monday to check-in on the installation of the British Pavilion exhibition in Venice, so the workday starts then. After that, I usually go into meetings about the projects and programmes I lead: an example would be a call with my British Council colleagues in West Africa as I just launched a residency opportunity with the Finnish Institute in West Africa for designers in the UK, Ghana and Nigeria.

I love that my job allows me to speak to people all over the world about their work and who and what inspires them. I try not to go to evening work events on Mondays, but there are so many inspiring events in the architecture, design, fashion and craft sectors and sometimes I can’t resist.

TW: As the Director of Architecture, Design, and Fashion at the British Council, how are you increasingly seeing these disciplines merge?

SD: It’s so interesting that we still think of these as separate disciplines and generally speaking, much of formal education still teaches people to think of them differently, though this is changing, which is exciting. The areas where I think we are seeing the most overlap and crossover are the commitment to sustainability and the responsible use of resources, materials and technology.

TW: You are the Commissioner of the British Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, opening 10 May and running to November. Why is Venice so significant and what can visitors expect from this year’s pavilion?

SD: The British Pavilion in Venice is a flagship initiative for the British Council, as part of our cultural relations mission to build connections, understanding and trust around the world. This year, the British Pavilion exhibition will focus on a curatorial collaboration between UK and Kenya, bringing a new dimension to the British Pavilion.

The Venice Biennale is one of the longest-running and most prestigious cultural festivals in the world and the UK is one of 65 countries presenting an exhibition in a National Pavilion. It’s worth noting that four countries, Azerbaijan, Oman, Qatar, and Togo, will be participating for the first time and I’m excited to see what they present.

Titled GBR: The Geology of Britannic Repair and curated by Kabage Karanja, Owen Hopkins, Stella Mutegi and Kathryn Yusoff, the British Pavilion explores not only how architecture has been linked to colonial agendas and systems of extraction but also – crucially – how architecture’s transformative and optimistic nature offers possibilities of a different future. It’s been a joy and honour to work with this team and I’m so excited for the opening later this week.

TW: How and why did the 2025 cross-cultural partnership between the UK and Kenya for the pavilion come about?

SD: For over a decade now, the British Council has run the architecture commission for Venice as an open call to encourage more architects and curators to submit their ideas and to use the British Pavilion as a space for challenging the past, present and future of architecture.

In writing the open call for the 2025 British Pavilion and building on the success of the 2023 exhibition, ‘Dancing Before the Moon,’ I wanted to not only demonstrate how the British Pavilion could be a space for inspiring ideas and difficult conversations but also better connect the Pavilion to the British Council’s cultural relations mission.

As we at the British Council were planning a ‘Season of Culture’ between the UK and Kenya for 2025, I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to embolden collaborative proposals between the two countries. The idea was that the process of developing the exhibition itself should be a cross-cultural collaboration, showcasing ‘in real time’ what new thinking emerges when you invest in connecting across borders.

“Architecture’s transformative and optimistic nature offers possibilities of a different future.”

The Wick Culture - Venice Biennale of Architecture 2023 commission

The Wick Culture - Sevra Davis RIBA event image

The Wick Culture - Sevra Davis opening ceremony British Pavilion 2023

TW: How is sustainability shaping the future of design? Are there any examples of exciting sustainable projects you would like to share?

SD: Sustainability considerations are shaping the future of design in all ways – it’s exciting that sustainability is no longer an afterthought and embedded into almost every design project I know and certainly those I work on.

Two examples: firstly, I’m working with a group of my peers who commission the National Pavilion exhibitions at the Venice Biennale on a common set of sustainability guidelines that will help us create a roadmap for sustainable exhibition- making in Venice; importantly, we are looking at this not only in environmental terms, but also social and economic ones.

Another example is a programme we’re working on called New Landscapes, which is a collaboration with the Fashion Textiles and Technology Institute at London College of Fashion to support collaborative research and development work in sustainable fashion and textiles between the UK and India.

TW: You have lived in places such as the United States, Finland and the UK. If you could design a building anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

SD: I’ve always wanted to explore different places and immerse myself in different cultures, so I feel lucky I’ve gotten to live in a few places around the world and hope there will be more of this in my future.

I think less about designing buildings myself these days than I did when I was studying architecture or working as an architect, but I think I would probably say that I am most inspired by local context and natural building materials. I love travelling and seeing what different building materials and construction techniques are used in different places – I was lucky enough to see the floating Uros reed islands in Peru a few years ago. If pressed, I’d like to build a little stone and timber house for myself in an olive grove in Greece.

TW: On a day off, which London museum and section are we most likely to find you?

SD: I’ve been a Londoner now for 20 years and the incredible cultural scene here is one of the reasons I love it so much. I can be found in London museums on most days off – but if I had to name one, I’d probably say the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern. I always look forward to the Turbine Hall commissions and still think about Doris Salcedo’s 2017 Shibboleth (the crack) and Kara Walker’s 2019 Fons Americanus.

TW: What book are you passing onto a loved one?

SD: My two favourite books have to be the 1947 children’s book Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and the 2014 war novel All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Right now, I’m rereading the Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante, which I also love. I never tire of reading and love getting swept away by stories.

TW: What object or artwork are you next coveting for your collection?

SD: My favourite exhibition of recent years is In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery curated by Ekow Eshun. Through that exhibition, I was introduced to the work of Lina Iris Viktor and was blown away not only by the exquisite artistry, technique and materials she uses but also, by how she tackles important topics and develops threads of connection. I am not sure I could pick one piece of hers, so for this I’d say Runout by Mac Collins, which he made for the 2023 British Pavilion.

TW: Who is your ultimate Monday Muse?

SD: There are so many inspiring women I know and right now, I have the honour of working with Stella Mutegi, Kathryn Yusoff, Mae-ling Lokko, Thandi Loewenson, Yara Sharif and Anoushka Rodda on the British Pavilion in Venice. I am most inspired by those who have the courage to explore the world and venture into the unknown, whether that’s the physical world or the world of ideas. Since I was a child, I have been inspired by Amelia Earhart. She isn’t alive today (that we know of!), but she was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and was a huge advocate for women’s rights. I often think of her when I am travelling by myself, which I do a lot.