Unsung heroes
LDN WMN was a temporary series of eye-catching public artworks displayed across London from 18 October 2018. They were created by women and non-binary artists, inspired by unsung women heroes from the city’s history. Curated by Tate Collective in collaboration with the Mayor of London, LDN WMN formed part of the Mayor’s #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign, which marks 100 years since the first women won the right to vote in the UK. Here we explore the women and artwork on display in north London.
Noor Inayat Khan by Manjit Thapp, Kings Cross Station
Manjit Thapp’s illustration celebrated Noor Inayat Khan. Noor was Britian’s first female wireless operator sent into occupied France, and the country’s first female Muslim war hero. She was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian decoration, for her service in the Special Operations Executive, having been captured and executed in 1943.
LDN WMN artwork of Noor Inayat Khan (2018) by Manjit ThappOriginal Source: Mayor of London
"I wish some Indians would win high military distinction in this war,” said Khan.
“If one or two could do something in the Allied service which was very brave and which everybody admired it would help to make a bridge between the English people and the Indians.”
Thapp's piece celebrates not just Khan's bravery, but also her status as a woman of colour during the war.
Patterns, textures and drawings are overlaid in a collage style that references various elements of Khan's experiences.
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The location
Thapp's piece was located not far from Khan's Bloomsbury family home, taking over a busy thoroughfare at King’s Cross.
The station opened to passengers on 14 October 1852, designed by Lewis Cubitt to be simple and functional, however Kings Cross has developed throughout the 20th century to become a significant transport hub.
LDN WMN artwork of Noor Inayat Khan (2018) by Manjit ThappOriginal Source: Mayor of London
The artist
Manjit Thapp is an illustrator whose work combines digital and traditional media and revolves around female characters that often have an air of mystery and silence.
Thapp sets out creating artwork seeking to evoke a particular feeling or atmosphere for intepretation by the viewer.
She illustrated her first book ‘The Little Book of Feminist Saints’ for Penguin Random House in March 2018.
Eva Gore-Booth and Esther Roper by Rudy Loewe, Gospel Oak Station
Rudy Loewe’s series of illustrations explored the lives and relationship of Irish poet Eva Gore-Booth and suffragette Esther Roper, political activists and partners who worked together to campaign for women's rights.
LDN WMN artwork of Eva Gore Booth and Esther Roper (2018) by Rudy LoeweOriginal Source: Mayor of London
Both were committed campaigners and highlighted the struggle for women's rights in industry and for their right to vote.
The pair also established and edited Urania, a sexual politics journal that challenged ideas of heterosexual marriage, sex, and gender distinctions.
Gore-Booth met Roper in 1896, and the two remained together as lovers and political campaigners until Gore-Booth's death in 1926.
LDN WMN artwork of Eva Gore Booth and Esther Roper (2018) by Rudy LoeweOriginal Source: Mayor of London
The location
Set in Gospel Oak, this piece is located close to Roper and Gore-Booth's shared grave in Hampstead Cemetery.
The space has been provided by Jack Arts – an independent creative out-of-home agency specialising in the arts and culture space.
Jack Arts crafts bold and unconventional campaigns that cause a welcome disruption on the street and runs UK-wide poster schemes as well as one-of-a-kind specialist builds, murals, installations, ambient and experiential campaigns.
The artist
Rudy Loewe is a visual artist working with drawing, painting and printmaking.
They are a storyteller who takes complex ideas and narratives, drawing them out into more accessible and digestible formats.
Using comedy and satire, Rudy’s work subverts dominant power structures and starts difficult conversations around intersectionality.
The themes of racism, gender, sexuality, disability and mental health are all integral to Rudy’s practice.
Una Marson, Evelyn Dove and Winifred Atwell by Carleen de Sözer, Alexandra Palace
Carleen de Sözer celebrates the life and work of three black women with a trio of street art works. Each of these women had a significant cultural impact in the UK and yet, they remain unknown.
LDN WMN artwork of Evelyn Dove, Una Marson and Winifred Atwell (2018) by Carleen De SözerOriginal Source: Mayor of London
Marson was a Jamaican feminist who produced poems, plays and radio programmes, often supporting women's rights and raising awareness of racism.
She became Jamaica's first female editor in 1928 and travelled to London to work for the BBC, which included producing the hit Caribbean Voices radio show.
Atwell and Dove were both musicians, with Atwell becoming the first black artist to have a number one hit in the UK and to sell a million records.
Dove was a member of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra – a group of British West Indian and West African and American musicians – and had a successful career with the BBC through the 1940s.
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The location
De Sözer's pieces took over the exterior walls of the former BBC studios on the south terrace at Alexandra Palace which, in 1936, began broadcasting the world’s first public regular analogue high-definition television service.
Built as the People’s Palace in 1875, the seven-acre Grade II-listed building is one of London’s most iconic destinations.
From the advent of Victorian leisure time through to the development of theatre, cinema, television and live events, Alexandra Palace continues to be central to the fabric of London.
LDN WMN artwork of Evelyn Dove, Una Marson and Winifred Atwell (2018) by Carleen De SözerOriginal Source: Mayor of London
The artist
Carleen De Sözer is widely regarded as one of London’s most skilled and diverse aerosol and airbrush artists and her work can be seen across the city.
Her most popular murals to date include Golden Utopia, You Have The Keys, Golden Era Hip Hop Raised Me and Grime Lords. De Sözer is also prominent on the international art scene with her Afrocentric, Afrofuturistic pieces.
Here De Sözer has blended photorealism with modern street art to create black and white portraits of each of these women, highlighting the tools of their trade – microphones and piano keys – in gold.
LDN WMN artists (2018) by GLA/Kevin LakeOriginal Source: Mayor of London
Artist Lakwena will also honour the courageous pilot Amy Johnson at Cricklewood Station in the coming weeks.
Check out LDN WMN online.
