Two murals shaped by six Finsbury Park residents are now up on Wells Terrace and inside the Tube station, one of them showing locals waving to arrivals.

Two new murals designed with Finsbury Park residents have gone up at Finsbury Park station: one on Wells Terrace, outside the station, and one inside it.

For Crouch End, that is the station at the end of the W7, about 19 minutes on the bus from the Broadway.

Islington Council led the project with Allie’s Art Club, and Transport for London backed it. It announced the murals on 26 October.

Six residents, one artist

Six local residents worked with the community artist Lydia Rosen on what Finsbury Park’s identity, heritage and culture mean to them. Their ideas became the two designs.

The council says the one inside the station is meant to welcome people arriving in the neighbourhood, while the Wells Terrace mural celebrates the communities, cultures and connections of the area.

Eight people, including the Mayor of Islington in red robes and a tricorn hat, standing in a Tube station corridor in front of a mural of purple silhouettes waving under a sun, rain clouds and a rainbow
The Mayor of Islington, residents and project partners in front of the mural inside Finsbury Park station. Photo: supplied by Islington Council

The money came from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The council says the murals are part of wider improvements to Finsbury Park town centre, aimed at making it greener, safer and more welcoming for residents, businesses and visitors. It did not give the cost.

“Lost for words”

Phoebe Smith, one of the six resident co-designers, said: “My first time seeing the completed mural I was lost for words, it’s just fabulous! I’ve lived in Islington all my life and it’s a nice feeling to be part of something like this. It’s awesome to have contributed to these murals, I can see how our ideas have fed into the final piece. Our conversations are encompassed in this mural, I can see Rowans, the hairdressers, companionship.

“I hope it shows the inclusiveness of the Finsbury Park community; it’s a very accepting place and it’s nice to see our feelings as a physical thing. The weekend where we shared our ideas with Lydia there was a unity of feeling about Finsbury Park and I think it’s expressed here very well. Maybe a few preconceptions about Finsbury Park will be popped by this mural.”

Lydia Rosen, in a navy coat with a fur collar, standing beside the Wells Terrace mural of orange silhouettes against a blue and purple night sky with a crescent moon, with a red bus in the distance
Artist Lydia Rosen beside the Wells Terrace mural outside Finsbury Park station. Photo: supplied by Islington Council

Lydia Rosen, who founded Allie’s Art Club, said: “It has been such a joy to work with local residents and businesses to explore what Finsbury Park means to them and turn their ideas into these public artworks.

“The murals and banners reflect the everyday experiences, communities and connections that give the area its unique identity, and I hope local people feel a sense of pride and belonging when they see them.”

Residents waving at arrivals

The Mayor of Islington, Councillor Rosaline Ogunro, said: “These murals tell a local story in a way that only local people can. They celebrate the communities, cultures and everyday experiences that make Finsbury Park unique.

“Finsbury Park is one of Islington’s most diverse neighbourhoods, and it’s wonderful to see residents’ ideas transformed into artwork that thousands of people, including visitors to our borough, will enjoy every day. One of the murals even captures residents waving, offering a fitting welcome to all who pass through the area.

“This project shows how we can work with communities and partners to improve public spaces while giving local people a genuine say in shaping their neighbourhood.”

Lydia Rosen waving in front of the mural inside Finsbury Park station, a row of purple silhouettes of people with their hands raised on green grass under a sun, clouds and a rainbow
Lydia Rosen at the mural inside the station, where the painted figures wave to people coming through. Photo: supplied by Islington Council

Nick Dent, London Underground director of customer operations at TfL, said: “Serving the Piccadilly and Victoria lines, Finsbury Park London Underground station is both a key transport hub and the heart of a diverse part of North London. These two new murals provide a warm welcome to everyone, whether they’re living or working in the area or paying a visit to local landmarks.”

Where to see them

  • Wells Terrace, the street outside Finsbury Park station
  • Inside Finsbury Park station

Both are in place now.