This month, Canary Wharf is welcoming back the capital’s biggest celebration of street art. Global Street Art’s London Mural Festival will see the addition of three new permanent murals within the neighbourhood.
It follows the success of Camille Walala’s artwork, Captivated by Colour, installed back in 2020 as part of the London Mural Festival. For this year’s edition three female UK based artists have been selected to create individual murals in Canary Wharf.
Found on Bellmouth Passage by Crossrail Place Quayside, artists Zoë Power, Hixxy and Venessa Scott have drawn on themes of connection, community, neighbourhood, people and places, to imprint their impressions of Canary Wharf and Tower Hamlets into their designs, creating mesmerising and touching artworks that are specific to Canary Wharf’s iconic sites.
Each mural has been created in the artists’ distinct styles, and can be viewed individually, but when taking a step back and capturing together, the artworks take on a whole new meaning, drawing out new themes, new connections and new narratives.
As well as forming part of the London Mural Festival line-up this month, the murals will become a permanent fixture at the Wharf, joining the UK’s largest free-to-visit outdoor public art collection made up of over 100 artworks within Canary Wharf, including Henry Moore’s, Draped Seated Woman (Old Flo), and Helaine Blumenfeld’s, Fortuna.
When talking about her mural entitled We’re not anybody, without everybody else, artist Hixxy (Josephine Hicks) said: “I’ve been exploring ideas around memory and connection, fleeting moments and people who impact our lives. The design has been created using drawings and collage, playing with space and layers and editing and omitting elements, which leaves only silhouettes and shadows. The papery qualities of the collage will be translated in the paint work to keep that in perfect and human quality.”
Artist Zoë Power, who created the mural entitled ‘Our Skyline’ said: “I wanted to create a mural that added colour, curves and character to the angular urban landscape. The design is inspired by the distinct Canary Wharf skyline and includes references to the river Thames and the diverse borough of Tower Hamlets. Crisscrossing shapes and colours jostle, embracing each other and creating a sense of unity and representing connection – the theme of this year’s mural festival. All 3 of us artists have been really bold with colour in these murals. I hope they create an arresting set of artworks that punctuate the day with moments of reflection and joy.”
Artist Venessa Scott said: My piece is called ‘Neighbourhood’ and draws on the language of a woven cloth tapestry. It speaks of a dynamic space filled with individual threads that are woven together to create a vibrant cultural cloth. That is my experience of Canary Wharf and I was incredibly excited to be invited to create an artwork there. My goal with this artwork was to create a piece that evolves and captivates.; An artwork that you can spend a long time exploring, and as you explore you discover, – much like the area itself!”
Lowri Harries, Associate Curator, Public Art at Canary Wharf Group said: “We’re delighted to be a part of the London Mural Festival again this year, continuing to add one-of-a-kind artworks to our own public art collection. Each piece offers a unique perspective on community and connection within the urban landscape. Together, these artworks create a compelling visual narrative of Canary Wharf as a vibrant, diverse, and connected neighbourhood.”
London Mural Festival features over 100 permanent murals across the capital, painted from the 5th September – 29th September. Themed around ‘connection’, this year’s festival will bring together thousands of iconic artists, communities, and visitors to celebrate London’s diverse people and places, offering Londoner’s a unique chance to see live art in action across 15 boroughs.
Those looking to spend a day out visiting Canary Wharf can enjoy a host of free-to-visit activities and attractions, including a 9-hole minigolf course by creative duo Craig & Karl, colourful ping pong tables, a free to explore children’s art collection, and 16.5 acres of open space and 5km of waterside boardwalks to explore. With over 80 cafes, bars and restaurants to choose from including newly opened Marceline, plant-based restaurant mallow or Dishoom for Bombay-inspired cuisine, visits to the neighborhood won’t be short of tasty treats to tuck into.
London Mural Festival’s three new artworks can be found on Bellmouth Passage by Crossrail Place Quayside in Canary Wharf, just a few steps from the Elizabeth Line.
