Two of five new pedestrian crossings designed by local Enfield artists have been revealed as the finale of the Enjoy Enfield Summer of Arts programme.
Enfield Council commissioned the artists to create colourful, playful designs to appear in Angel Edmonton, Edmonton Green, Enfield Town, Palmers Green and Southgate, as part of the celebration of the arts and culture in the borough and also as a long-term initiative to see how art can transform public spaces.
Enfield Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Ian Barnes, said: “The aim of these beautiful commissions is to explore how everyday features – such as a pedestrian crossing - can become high-quality, engaging and artistic interventions in public areas.
“Enfield Council wants to support and nurture artists and to help them become an important part of the regeneration of our town centres. We also hope that these delightful crossings will bring a smile to people’s faces when they visit Enfield’s towns.”
The first crossing to be revealed was in Enfield Town, designed by Hasan Bölücek, a member of the British Alevi community who is a visual artist, illustrator and art teacher. His design focussed on the importance of nature’s elements in Alevi culture, which are represented on the crossing by the horizontal colours. The birds symbolise peace and freedom.
Mr Bölücek was joined by Cllr Barnes, a representative of the Enfield Society and the British Alevi Federation and the Enfield Town Centre Manager, Mark Rudling.
The second crossing was designed by Dan Maier, a resident of Enfield who has worked in venues such as Harvey Nichols and the National Theatre and who also launched the much-loved Art Trail event in Southgate and Palmers Green.
Ms Maier and Cllr Barnes were joined by representatives of Optical Warehouse and Heritage Tea and Coffee, local businesses who have shown strong support for the crossing.
Commenting on her Southgate pedestrian crossing, Ms Maier said: "Southgate has a huge amount going for it but the high street needs help more than ever…I wanted to create something bright and cheerful, introducing the essence of nature and its vibrant colours into our urban landscape. The colour scheme references the rainbows that have been so prevalent during lockdown, symbolising peace and hope for the future. I've abstracted elements from the natural world to create a striking artwork which I hope will bring some joy, spark imagination and once again put Southgate on the map."
For news on the next three crossings to be unveiled, follow Enfield Council on social media - @EnfieldCouncil on Twitter, @EnfieldCouncilUK on Facebook, or use the hashtag #EnjoyEnfield .
- About the artists
Hasan Bölücek is a member of the British Alevi community. He is a visual artist, art teacher, illustrator and mural artist born in Ankara, Turkey. He has lived and worked in London since 2008. From 2004 to 2008 he studied Fine Art and trained as an Arts and Crafts Teacher in the Fine Art Department of the Education Faculty of Gazi University, Turkey. After moving to London, Bölücek studied creative media production, heralding his arrival and exploration of his new home with a series of paintings of London landmarks. He finished his MA in Illustration and Book Arts in Cambridge School of Art. He is currently illustrating children’s books and teaching art in variety of age groups in British Alevi Federation.
Dan Maier’s extraordinary design work ranges from painstakingly made intricate artwork to atrium scale pieces, with prestigious commissions for interiors, window displays, theatre and advertising. She's worked with the Hayward Gallery, the Royal Academy, The Old Vic, Liberty, Harvey Nichols and the Royal Festival Hall to name just a few. Dan graduated from Central St Martins in Textiles but now works in a much broader range of materials and is currently sculpting in paper making wall reliefs. Dan has lived and worked in Southgate and Palmers Green for more than 20 years, setting up and running the Art Trail which put N13 and N14 on the map as a creative destination. Having witnessed numerous small businesses open and close in quick succession on Southgate and Palmers Green high streets, Dan was keen to try and help regenerate the area. Recognising that local retailers don’t have the more generous window display budgets of West End retailers, Dan decided the next best thing would be to put art in the windows to make the high streets more attractive and highlight the local talent that was yet to be unearthed. To see more of Dan’s work: www.extraordinarydesign.com