Nationally acclaimed and celebrated artist, Yinka Ilori MBE has partnered with the British Red Cross to create a mural celebrating the acts of kindness shown in communities since the start of the pandemic.
Located on Ebor Street, a short walk from Shoreditch High Street Station, the 15ft mural is part of the charity’s This is Human Kind campaign which celebrates the deeper human connections made through supporting one another, particularly through the coronavirus pandemic.
The colourful piece is emblematic of Yinka’s distinctive style: Bold, bright and with a clear nod to his West African heritage. The London-based artist, who was awarded an MBE for his work in design, recently made headlines as the co-designer behind this year’s Brit Awards trophies and stage.
Speaking about his new project with the British Red Cross Yinka said:
“The opportunity to design something for the British Red Cross was an absolute honour. The mural is trying to celebrate community, collaboration and just being kind to others.”
He went on to say “My work has always been about community and about inclusivity. In art and design, making art spaces inclusive is the gateway to making people belong. The British Red Cross make people feel like they belong, they have a voice that is listened to and heard. It was an absolute honour to be approached by the charity to and to be a part of their amazing legacy on communities.”
Yinka said that this year has made him realise the importance of meaningful connections and has developed new connections himself.
“London is a lonely city in the best of times so it’s really important to get to know your communities. The pandemic really hit that home to me. I’ve made an effort to speak to new people, young and old and I pretty much know everyone on my street now.”
When asked what he thought was the future of “human kind”, the artist said:
“The future of human kind is in our hands. We all have a responsibility to be kind. I think that being kind is in everyone, even if they don’t believe it, but I think everyone has kindness in their soul”
This year, the British Red Cross has reached over 2 million people in the UK with acts of kindness, from delivering food and medicine to providing a listening ear on the charity’s national support line. Most recently, volunteers have been supporting the NHS at vaccination centres, GP surgeries and hospitals across the country, providing support and the right information, to those getting their coronavirus vaccine.
Zoe Abrams, Executive Director of Communications at the British Red Cross said:
“We are delighted to team up with Yinka, who has created this wonderful mural to commemorate the great outpouring of kindnesses shown during the pandemic.
From people checking in regularly on neighbours, to people signing up to volunteer, to small acts of appreciation for front line workers, we’ve seen countless acts of kindness over the past year in communities across the UK.
Yinka’s work embraces the idea of community spirit and the importance of human connections, which is the cornerstone for how the British Red Cross carries out its work, helping the most vulnerable in our communities.”
The mural will be open to the public from 22nd June until the 4th of July in Shoreditch, East London. Share your visit, take a photo and tag @BritishRedCross and #PowerofKindness on social media!
