Ukraine War Reflected In London Street Art

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By M@ Last edited 25 months ago

Last Updated 25 March 2022

Ukraine War Reflected In London Street Art
A street art scene of a girl in a woolly hat in the colours of Ukraine. Two bikes are chained up in front
Girl in a Ukrainian hat, at the back of Rich Mix, Shoreditch. Art by WOSKerski. Image: Matt Brown

The world is in a scary place right now, but it's also largely united in solidarity with Ukraine. One way this has materialised is in a blossoming of street art all over the world. London's walls are alive with images and words in support of the embattled country, with messages of love, peace and Putin-bashing.

We'll continue to add to this article as new works emerge. Please email [email protected] if you spot any further good examples.

The words PEACE and LOVE are painted onto a black wall in bold street art shapes, and in the colours of the Ukraine flag
Village Underground in Shoreditch carries the simple message of PEACE LOVE in the Ukrainian colours. Image: Matt Brown.
Abbey Road studios with blue and yellow street art for Ukraine on the wall
The walls of Abbey Road studios have long been graffitied with messages about The Beatles. Today, they are daubed with the message FREE UKRAINE, although sadly the writing is slightly obscured by recycling bins. Image: Matt Brown.
A bit of street art on a bridge says "Oi Putin Behave"
Down in Crystal Palace, someone has written a very British message to Mr Putin. This image is by Loco Steve under creative commons licence.
This remarkable piece was spotted on the corner of Kynaston Road, Enfield, close to the junction with Lancaster Road. Reader Claude Pehrson provided the photo.
A building site hoardings is covered with yellow and blue paint and the message STOP WAR
Stop (Z) War, says this letter mural on Shoreditch High Street. Image by the author.
The word sky in whispy blue, with the message Close the Sky Over Ukraine
At the end of that row is another mural suggesting we close the sky above Ukraine. Image by the author.

The following six images were all captured by Celeste Francis in the Shoreditch area.

A Captain America figure, but with a U for Ukraine on his headgear and shield stares out from a wall. Stop all wars now is written on the left
Captain Ukraine, in Allen Gardens
A black wall is covered in abstract and rather beautiful shapes, all in the blue and yellow of Ukraine
Abstract art in Alleyn Gardens
Love, no war and peace are the messages surrounding this unreadable blue and yellow graffiti tag
More from Alleyn Gardens
A blue and yellow bird sprayed onto a wall with a peace symbol
Another image from Alleyn Gardens
A series of rosettes in yellow, orange and red all say I stand with Ukraine
Spotted in an alley near the Seven Stars pub off Brick Lane
A poster of Putin with the caption Fools Russian. beneath is a picture of a Ukrainian woman with a missile launcher
Posters like these have been decorating Shoreditch for years, but these latest ones reflect the Ukraine war
Street art. Two stylized gremlins in soldier hats carry signs saying Stop War and the Ukrainian flag
The ubiquitous Nathan Bowen added this to a wall on Fleet Street. Image by Hamish Champ.
A red horse rears up on a background of street art
Also in Leake Street is this collaboration between Baroque Anarchist and Last Stand Cell, who combine fine art and urban street art (the "NO W" lettering in the background). The red horse symbolises one of the riders of the apocalypse, as well as the red of Russia. Image by James Newton.
A wheelchair symbol in Ukraine yellow on a blue background, with the words Why create wars while some battle every day.
A further example, with a very different take, from Leake Street was sent to us by Alex Entwistle.

The following image by Colin Miceli focuses on Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and was spotted in Islington on Shillingford St, just off Cross Street.

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A post shared by colin miceli (@colinmiceli)

Meanwhile, the ever vigilant Paul Slade spotted a series of additional pieces around Shoreditch.

He's been back several times since and shares the following: "While I was in Allen Gardens, I noticed a photographer and his model doing a fashion shoot in front of that heart+weeping eye piece (below) . I doubt that piece had been up as long as two weeks, and already it was being co-opted as backdrop to a glorified ad. It’s no surprise that happens of course, but I hadn’t expected it to happen quite that fast."

A weeping eye, painted beneath the blue and yellow of Ukraine in a heart shape - surrounded by thorns
Image by Paul Slade, Allen Gardens

We went to photograph the following image by Pegasus, on the hoardings around the Shoreditch Art'Otel, but it had already been painted over. Fortunately, Andrew Patrick White had recorded it.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Notting Hill has become a focal point for protest and pro-Ukrainian graffiti.

We'll add to this article as more artwork appears. Please send any examples to [email protected]

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