Marvellous new mural brightens London Fields

Architect Jurek Fryczkowski paints the new ‘Planet Hackney’ mural at the corner of Shrubland Road and Grand Union Crescent in London Fields. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

A group of artists and creatives have come together to create a radiant ‘Planet Hackney’ mural on a blank wall in London Fields.

The project was the brainchild of a group of housemates, who convinced the shop-keeper living opposite to donate his wall. The friends then got to work designing the image of a circular London seen from Hackney and surrounded by brilliant rays of light.

The wall, which forms the side of a corner shop on Shrubland Road, was selected for attention after a series of crimes in the area prompted the group of friends to try to draw together the local community.

“Things like this can bring something positive to the area”, explains Levi Cross, one of the designers of the mural. “We’re trying to get people to take pride in where they live. People have been saying it’s about time something happened to that wall. ”

Work on the mural started on 1 September and was completed on Saturday the 8th.

Architect Jurek Fryczkowski has been the main artist involved in bringing the mural to life. “It’s like a fireball that breaks through the dilapidated wall and shows the fire of creativity behind every wall waiting to be discovered”, explains Fryczkowski, who has been pleased with the response to the mural so far. “I’ve met so many people in the last few days.”