Pupils feature in Alexandra Primary School, Wood Green, mural

Artist and designer Jo Gold recently completed a mural in a playground at Alexandra Primary School in Wood Green.

The mural took six weeks to complete, featuring a colourful array of school children and  landmarks such as the London Eye, the River Thames, Alexandra Palace and Wood Green tube station.

The whole story began when Jo met Stephanie Clarke, the headteacher at the school. Stephanie took a liking to the artist’s work and asked Jo to create a print artwork of their school.

“Not long after, Stephanie then asked if I’d be interested in painting a mural in their playground. It’s not something I’d ever done before, but it felt exciting and I was drawn to the scale of the project.” Jo said.

Both Jo and Stephanie were eager to involve the children in the project, organising workshops where the kids could draw characters that represented them.

Artist Jo Gold with her mural at Alexandra Primary School in Wood Green (Image: Jo Gold)

Taking six weeks to complete, Jo worked through rain and sun to create a mural that embodied the children at the school.

“As I entered the playground everyday, I saw the joy the colour I was painting brought to the urban backdrop. The children were attentive spectators and the painting provided conversation and stimulus for them.” Jo said.

“They chose the characters they felt represented them, the buildings that looked like their homes, and iconic landmarks they recognized. They enjoyed the journey with me and watched the scene develop.”

The mural at Alexandra Primary School in Wood Green (Image: Jo Gold)

Ms Clarke added: “Many of the children have identified themselves in the mural, they know that it represents them and our local area. It’s really good to hear pupils talking about the London landmarks and learning their names. I hope it helps them to feel proud of our school and locality, it’s a hopeful depiction. One child said. ‘Wood Green looks so colourful!'”

Ms Clarke said: “I wanted a piece of artwork in the playground that would enhance the environment for the children. The initial aim was to brighten up a very dull, grey fence but designing something that would be reflective of our diverse school community and unique to our context became the primary focus.”

“I love Jo’s designs and her unique way of capturing buildings and people, so I was really delighted when she agreed to take on the mural project and I knew we would end up with something very special.”