Like the Back of My Hand

In 2000, Strange Cargo created Folkestone's first new public artwork since the War Memorial, marking the arrival of the new millennium. The project, Like the Back of My Hand, involved 101 people: 100 individuals, each born in a different year of the previous century, and the final participant being the first baby born in the Folkestone and Hythe district in the year 2000.

The handprint of each person was cast in bronze, accompanied by their biography, photograph, and a recording of them stating their birth year. Initially displayed at Strange Cargo’s Georges House Gallery, the artwork found its permanent home in 2004, revitalising the previously neglected approach to Folkestone Central Railway Station.

Like the Back of My Hand not only enlivens a heavily trafficked public space but also serves as an iconic gateway to the town. Over time, it has become a memorial for those participants who have since passed away.

In 2005, the artwork received the prestigious Rouse Kent Public Art Award, presented by Stephen Deuchar, who was then Director of Tate Britain.