The latest mural to welcome passengers to Brixton underground station is up, and it's a beaut.
This is Rebirth of a Nation by Italian artist Jem Perucchini. Unveiled on 2 November 2023, it's the latest in a series of murals celebrating the area's rich cultural diversity.
The programme, which began in 2018, is looked after by Art on the Underground and has included commissions from Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Joy Labinjo.
Perucchini's contribution packs in plenty of allegory and symbolism. Here's the official TfL explanation:
"The composition is an allegorical vision in which the past, embodied by a female figure, and the future, her mirror image, meet. Flanked by two men holding spears, the women are distinguished by their sumptuously decorated clothes. One clasps a purple orb; historically a symbol of sovereign power in painting iconography. The elaborately detailed fabrics are evocative of African wax cloth, a material interwoven with the skill, artistry and identities of the diverse African diaspora. Bathed in the rays of a rising orange sun, the four figures inhabit an otherworldly environment of irregular compositional perspective, imbued with warm hues and a meditational quality that is evocative of a Renaissance altarpiece."
In the hustle and bustle of getting into the tube, not everyone will stop to consider deeper meanings. But the new mural also fits the space well on a superficial level. As you approach, the four figures look like they're emerging from the concourse below:
Brixton has a long history of mural artwork. We collected together a few in this 2017 article, including the prominent murals at the nearby railway station, classic 1980s paintings by Brian Barnes and, of course, the David Bowie mural. This new work will remain in place for a year before a new artist gets their chance to shine on this much-viewed wall space.
Images courtesy of TfL.
