Specially selected by Transport for London, students from our Bexley Art and Design department have taken part in ‘Turning London Purple’ – an exciting project where students were tasked with creating purple artwork inspired by destinations along the Elizabeth line, specifically Lesnes Abbey at Abbey Wood – an ancient woodland, park and ruined abbey.
Working to a brief set by the team at Lesnes, our students created a diverse range of artwork ranging from oil paintings, drawings and embroidery to collages, prints, sculptural works and photography – inspired by the various aspects of the site including rich flora and fauna, beautiful medieval ruins and fossils from the ancient woodland.
Displayed against a beautiful backdrop of medieval stonework and luscious green parkland, artworks were admired by an audience of park visitors and school children and photographed by Transport for London. Outstanding pieces included an oil painting by George Horrobin, a set of two handcrafted boxes filled with ephemera by Joseph Bennett, a length of silkscreen pattern repeat by Hayden Mason and an exquisite embroidery piece by Kiza Mulenda.
Other highlights included a paper and fabric dress by Julia Jose, a crown sculpture by Tolu Oriola, a set of paintings of flowers by Layla Tiller-King, Mamon Khalaf's a sculpture of a shark by student Mamon Khalaf's and last, but certainly not least, a superb triptych of paintings by Mia Gosling.
Julia Jose, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design student said:
“My artwork is inspired by Christian Dior and is supposed to be a modernised version of religious costume in Medieval times such as a Priest may have worn. I incorporated purple for TFL and used some sustainable materials such as newspaper. The dress took around one month to make. I was impressed that Lesnes Abbey is still standing considering all of it tribulations.”
Mamon Khalaf, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design student said:
“I was amazed by the history of the Abbey and was so impressed that we found fossils dating from millions of years ago such as shark’s teeth – it blew my mind. This inspired me to make a sculpture of a shark species which used to exist there, and I added purple to relate to the Elizabeth line. It took me four weeks to create and I still haven’t quite finished everything.”
Mary Campbell, Senior Lecturer at London South East Colleges said:
“We were truly blown away by the rich history of Lesnes Abbey – from fossil finds and a 12th Century order of monks, to a peasant's revolt – to name but a few.
“We have previously taken part in an event with another partner at the Abbey and know it to be a fabulous gem of a location. We hope this project marks the start of a more permanent working partnership with Lesnes Abbey and their wonderful supportive staff.”
Lindsey Weaver, Partnerships and Activities Manager at Lesnes Abbey said:
“I think the students from London South East Colleges Bexley are amazing. They were excellent ambassadors for the college, not only with their professional approach, but the quality of their artwork. It was an absolute joy working with them.
“This Elizabeth line project has helped to raise awareness of Lesnes and London South East Colleges and now there is a strong connection there. We really do look forward to working with the art and design department at Bexley Campus.”
Ann Gavaghan, Customer Experience Manager at Transport for London’s People and Places Programme, said:
“TfL has a long legacy of collaborating with local communities both within our stations and beyond. It has been fantastic to drum up excitement within the local community using the railway’s eye-catching new colour.
“The new line will transform travel across London and the South East by dramatically improving transport links, cutting journey times, providing additional capacity, and transforming accessibility with spacious new stations and walk-through trains. It will serve Londoners and beyond for many decades to come.”