garden mural for homeless shelter
In 2018 I created a mural for St Mungo's, a charity working to support people at every step of their recovery from homelessness. One of their projects, Housing First, helps people caught in a cycle of street homelessness, sofa surfing, prisons and hospitals by flipping the traditional model on its head – instead of focusing on recovery first then finding independent accommodation, it offers the security of having a home. The charity have found that providing a secure base boosts people’s motivation and enables them to focus on their recovery. My brief was to revive an outdoor space at one of the Housing First shelters in London, by creating an uplifting mural inspired by the residents and their stories.
“I love the symbolism and the message about strength, thriving in difficult environments and healing. It sums up our residents and their journey so perfectly.” - St mungo’s staff
“I like that the dandelion means strength. I can see it from my window and it makes me smile.”
— MW, St Mungo's resident
I was approached the Hammersmith shelter team, who were turning a small alleyway previously filled with bins into a garden area within which residents can safely and comfortably rest and socialise with one another. A space to call their own and to feel proud of.
After engaging staff and residents in discussions around the themes, ambitions and requirements of the space, I developed a concept based on dandelions and ferns. Why these plants? Well, conversations with the residents made it clear that they wanted a work of art that not only brightened the space but that also spoke to the journey they are all on at St Mungo’s. Plants being my thing, I brought botanical symbolism for discussion and everyone liked the idea that whilst these plants are considered weeds, they also represent strength and resilience (dandelions grow through the cracks in pavements, bracken ferns grow almost anywhere - even dry stone walls), hope (absolutely everyone has that childhood memory of blowing dandelion seeds to make a wish) and adaptability, self-protection and time (think of the furling and unfurling of the ancient fern that has been on earth for 350 million years).
After disaster strikes — lava flow, say, or forest fire — the fern is often the first to take root. In 2006 the Washington Post reported on a colony of maidenhair ferns thriving in a D.C. Metro station, some 150 feet underground. “They’re survivors,” says Michelle Bundy, curator of the Hardy Fern Foundation in Federal Way, Washington. “They’re tough.”
— 'ANCIENT BEAUTY' by By Leah Eskin, Dora Galitzki and Victoria Ross
I painted the mural over a series of sunny weekends with close oversight by the residents, which was an extraordinarily humbling experience; I will never forget the time spent with them, each in the midst of their own journey to recovery from serious drink or drug abuse and longterm homelessness. I remember being struck by their strength and resilience, as well as their sense of humour, and feeling privileged to hear their stories and be entrusted in creating a work of art that might speak to their collective narratives.
Two of my personal favourite elements of the mural were added near the very end of the project:
Twelve ‘wish’ seeds, one for each resident, blowing in the wind
The title ‘Love your space’ which was proudly added by one resident (who we will call TR) to the very front of the mural, one evening after I had been painting on site. It brilliantly sums up the intention behind this commission and the importance of having a space to call your own.
TR has always enjoyed drawing and I hope that this experience will encourage her to continue to practice. She’s also a great photographer and gave me permission to share some of her photos (below) of us all enjoying the mural on my last day on site.
“FROM THE INITIAL CONVERSATION ONWARDS, BRYONY WAS SIMPLY OUTSTANDING! SHE IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTOOD THE CONCEPT OF THE PROJECT AND THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS AND THE STAFF. THE FINAL COMMISSION WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD HOPED FOR AND PERFECTLY SUMMED UP THE ETHOS OF THE SERVICE… CLIENTS HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT HOW MUCH IT BRIGHTENS UP THE SPACE AND LIFTS THEIR MOOD, AND MAKES THE OUTSIDE SPACE FEEL LIKE ‘THEIRS’. THE SYMBOLISM OF THE PIECE IS PERFECT FOR THE PROJECT; THE BOTANICAL SUBJECT MATTER REFLECTS THEMES OF STRENGTH, THE ABILITY TO THRIVE IN A DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT, HEALING AND HOPE. WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HAVING THIS BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART AT OUR SERVICE.”
— Claire Matthews, St Mungo's
