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Shooting London
The artist painting London “female”
“It’s a Dreph!” commented a friend of mine on Facebook when I posted the photo above on my wall recently.
“I know,” I replied. “I snap ‘Drephs’ whenever I see one.”
London-based Ghanaian street artist, Dreph (real name, Neequaye Dreph Dsane) has been an urban revelation for a few years now. His mission — explicitly stated every time he is interviewed — is to celebrate the work and legacy of women of African and Caribbean origin. Women who are often ignored and not given the attention and recognition they deserve.
What is interesting about my photo is that this mural is on Fashion Street (yes, I know — talk about arts-influenced nominative determinism), in an area I frequent. Yet, I’d never walked down this road before. Along with the mural, another highlight on this street is the London School of Fashion and Design, Istituto Marangoni.
The woman immortalised in the painting is Tracy, originally from Oxford. Her job involves working with children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour.
There was another element that a keen cyclist like me couldn’t leave out — the bicycle. At first, you hardly notice that there’s a two-wheeler in the picture, but once your eyes start looking away from Tracy and begin to focus on her surroundings, the pedal-powered machine almost takes on a supporting role.
Dreph’s colour-rich, women-centred murals are the sign of a city slowly coming to terms with its cultural mix. For me, the colour that stands out the most, however, is the one I mentioned at the outset — female.
You can buy me a coffee here.