In the south of London there is a street art secret. A gem, not so hidden from view, yet far enough along the overground for many to miss it. It’s a place with possibly the highest concentration of street art outside of the East End in London. It’s Penge and who would have thought that it might well be the hottest place right now on the London street art scene.
Our pals at London Calling Blog are responsible. Showing us around on a drizzly weekend in February they’ve curated street art in the town for the past three years. In total the area now has 105 different pieces of street art. Some big and obvious, others smaller and hidden from obvious view.
Trafik Graphics mural in Penge
An owl from Aspire. His work can be seen across Penge
ANYTHING’S BETTER THAN A BLANK WALL
Much of the work in Penge is from local artists. Though with a healthy sprinkling of overseas visitors too. Some artists keep coming back. The likes of Irony, Aspire, Airborne Mark and Artista are well known on the London scene. The town of Penge has become a welcome canvas for their art. So much so that for many artists you’re more likely to see their work in South London than in the East End.
The majority of the recent spate of artworks were created in January. Fast becoming an annual event of the calendar. The ‘Anything’s Better than a Blank Wall‘ paint jam was a spray paint filled celebration of London Calling’s blogging anniversary. It’s a heck of a way to mark the occasion.
A patchwork banana from Louis Masai is being stitched up by a bee
NEW STREET ART IN PENGE
The art is all around the town. The last time we visited was the year before. Some of the pieces are the same, but many have changed. Standout works this time include a giant gorilla from Trafik Graphics on the main street and a boy peeking over a fence from Sr. X. They joined a multi-coloured banana from Louis Masai and an Indiana Jones from the ever impressive JXC.
Penge is indeed a hidden gem. The murals in the town are well curated and have certainly added to the curiosity of the town. As we walked, others would appear. Taking selfies and snapping the walls. The population seem to like the street art that’s for sure. But then, what’s not to like?
The street art of Penge was visited on 10 February 2019. Showing us around was Steve from London Calling Blog. The latest body of work was created as part of their ‘Anything’s Better Than a Blank Wall’ paint jam.
PENGE STREET ART GALLERY
New work from Dotmasters
Hunto wall in Penge
Latest Aspire work in Penge
Indiana Jones and the dome of JXC
SPzero76 in Penge
Sky High piece in Penge
Toucans from Aspire in Penge
Work from ‘She’ from the Girls on Top crew
Irony’s Angler Fish down an alley in Penge
A shocked donut from Woskerski
A selfie from Core246 in Penge
Sr. X’s latest piece peeking over the fence
Another Hunto piece in Penge
DRT wall in Penge
Roo wall in Penge
Dotmasters returning to his roots in Penge
Nerone street art in Penge
Latest piece from Giusi Tomasello in Penge
The latest mural from Airborne Mark. A tribute piece to the late Gordon Gibbens. A street art fan and supporter of the local scene who passed away recently. Airborne Mark was one of his favourite artists and he created this in his memory.