Stories Behind The Art: Cycling Through The Park

The Brandon Estate in Kennington Park was in need desparate need of some care and attention after it had spent years at the mercy of spray paint and graffiti. Local residents felt that the 60m stretch of wall that shielded their estate from Kennington Park hearkened back to the days of gang culture and violence, a time the locals were keen to leave behind. 

Brewers Decorator Centre in Peckham branch was approached by local group Bee Urban to help out with an ambitious community scheme, in association with The Brandon Tenants Residents Association.  The aim was to paint a massive mural along a 60m wall, making it one of the longest murals in London.

Brewers store manager Jimmy Thomson was delighted to help by donating over 150 litres of Albany Paint to the community project. The Peckham store were blown away by the enthusiasm of Bee Urban’s Barnaby Shaw as his team strove to overcome the negative image created about the estate, seeking instead to highlight a very different message. 

Half hexagon number 7 is a design from the collaboration between the artists, Jack and Tom, and the 6th formers at High Shore, a complex mixed needs special secondary school located close to the mural.  

The artists worked in the school’s art class with the students to construct these compositions in groups. This section celebrates cycling through the beautiful nature and wildlife of the park.

The beauty of the park is not the only highlight of the mural. The famous Wooley Mammoth that was unearthed during the construction of the Brandon Estate in the 1960’s (see Hexagon 6 for the full detail) makes another appearance on the wall. The keen eyed may see that this mammoth has a few differences, the most noticeable being a set of angelic wings! It seems that this mammoth is on his way to get a birds-eye view of the park!