Panchal’s community portrait depicts London’s Endurance
MURAL AT BRIXTON STATION TELLS THE STORY OF PEOPLE ‘WHO HAVE OVERCOME ADVERSITIES’
SHANTI PANCHAL, one of Britain’s foremost watercolour artists, has spoken to Eastern Eye about the 9 metres x 5 metres mural he is putting up at Brixton Underground station.
Panchal, who was born in India in the Gujarat village of Mesar and came to Britain in 1978 to study art on a British Council scholarship, said: “The mural will be installed on November 17 as a photographic print of the painting on a wall at Brixon Station as physically it was not possible to paint directly on the wall.
“From the main road as you enter the station, you will be facing the mural and then you go through a set of stairs down to the trains. It will stay there for a year.”
He said Endurance “is a reproduction of a large-scale watercolour artwork in which I have painted a community portrait that observes our continued resilience and interdependency.
“Shown in the image are three scenes of Londoners from all walks of life – they include an artist, an NHS worker, a waiter, people at work and at leisure. In the background are buildings, statues and sections of open public space that draw on the Brixton neighbourhood and wider context of London.
“The architecture seen behind the figures includes the Black Cultural Archives, Brixton Windmill and Tate Modern. Present among the scenes are the African and Caribbean War Memorial and the Cherry Groce Memorial Pavilion in Windrush Square. These draw into the artwork monuments, places and people we celebrate, who we have lost, those taken from us, and where we gather and build anew.”
Panchal added: “It has been an exciting experience, painting for six months on the Brixton mural, exploring Brixton’s history, art and culture. I wanted to reflect and celebrate the vibrant cultural life in Brixton and London. We have suffered a great deal in the past few years but the resilience and healing powers of people have always found a way to overcome adversities throughout history. People and places in the mural tell us a story of each community within Brixton and London. I feel we have endured difficult and hard times in the past, are facing challenges of the present and looking forward to a bright future.”
Justine Simons, London’s deputy mayor for culture and the creative Industries, said: “Shanti has created a beautiful mural that reflects the diversity and resilience of Brixton. I hope that this work will inspire a new generation to continue the tradition of art and design on London Underground.”
Eleanor Pinfield, head of ‘Art on the Underground’, said: “Shanti Panchal’s artwork for Brixton station reverberates with the history of mural making in London.
Panchal’s triptych painting depicts the challenges and sorrows of the past two years, alongside the monuments of contemporary Brixton, while his intimate figures speak to a universal resilience and hope for the future.”