Oh my cod! Felt artist Lucy Sparrow strikes again, and there's a special plaice in our hearts for her latest work.
The haberdashery genius is back working her magic with textiles, this time opening a full-sized fish and chip shop made entirely from felt.
Step into the Bourdon Street Chippy between Friday 1 August-Sunday 14 September 2025 to admire the 65,000 individually hand-sewn pieces, including 15 distinct chip shapes in five different shades. Even the traditional chippy counter is recreated in fabric, as are the fish portions, the takeaway boxes, the condiments — and even the pots of mushy peas. "Diners" can admire felted menus and shop signs, along with sewn portraits of the chippy's famous customers (Michael Fish, James Pond, Tuna Turner, Marlin Monroe and Fishtina Aguilera must surely feature?).
Sounding rather far-fetched? It's not Sparrow's first rodeo. Back in 2014 she opened a corner shop in Bethnal Green, with every single item of stock made from felt, from newspapers to jars of jam to boxes of washing powder:
Sparrow's attention to detail is phenomenal. As with the corner shop, all of the felt artworks at the chippy will be for sale, so take a few squid with you when you visit. We seem to remember the Marmite jars being rather popular last time, and she followed up that success with a felt sex shop in Soho (naturally) in 2015, peddling condoms, sex toys and S&M gear, all sewn by hand.
More recently, following lockdown, she decked out an entire chemist shop with felt pharmaceuticals.
It remains to be seen whether that iconic chippy smell will be replicated. Either way, we know Sparrow will have put her heart and, ahem, sole, into this latest work, and we can't wait to skate on over and see it. And who knows what she'll come up with next? Any-fin is possible.
The Bourdon Street Chippy immersive installation is at Lyndsey Ingram Gallery, 20 Bourdon Street, Mayfair, W1K 3PJ. It's open 1 August-14 September, Wednesday-Sunday 11am-4pm, as well as bank holiday Monday 25 August. Entry is free.
