Brixton Underground Station’s new mural confronts the idea that Black British History only stretches as far as the 20th century.
Titled Rebirth of a Nation, the large-scale public artwork by young artist Jem Perucchini will be on display for a year as part of the Art on the Underground programme.
Initiated in 2018, the programme invites artists to respond to the diverse narratives of the area, in recognition of the local murals painted in Brixton in the 1980s.
Not only a bright, colourful welcome to the busy station, the artwork challenges the notion that Black British History only stretches as far as the 20th century.
This work’s inspiration is drawn from the Ivory Bangle Lady, inspired by a wealthy North African woman whose grave – dating back to the 4th century – was discovered in York.
The stone grave contained rare, imported objects and valuable jewellery, one of which was an elephant ivory bangle.
These objects indicate that she was amongst the richest inhabitants of the region and enjoyed a high social status – leading to suggestions that early Britain may have been more ethnically diverse than mainstream history suggests.
Drawing from Brixton, one of London’s most distinctive areas, Perucchini’s work responds to an environment shaped by its diverse residents and their histories.
As a nucleus for Black British history, the area has been shaped by recent social and political movements. In post-war London, many West Indian immigrants settled in Brixton – almost a third who travelled on the Empire Windrush made it their home – and it quickly became a centre for the Black community.
Artist Jem Perucchini said: “For me, Brixton represents a microcosm of London, a place where the community creates a local focus. The Underground station then acts as the main pivot between the centre and the periphery, the inside and the outside of the city.
“Working on this project has been very stimulating, not only for the opportunity to see my work reproduced in such a large format but also because of its location in the heart of Brixton, visible by all its inhabitants and those who pass through it.”
Eleanor Pinfield, Head of Art on the Underground, said: “Speaking to the long thread of Black British history in the UK, “Birth of a Nation” continues Art on the Underground’s exploration of contemporary responses to muralism for Brixton station.”
This mural is the latest in a series of commissions for the station, following on from the work of artists including Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Joy Labinjo.