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Son of war poet 'moved' by east London murals

Deedee Kyeremateng
BBC London
Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films A general view of Abraham O's seven spray-painted black and white up-close murals on Hare Marsh in Shoreditch.Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films
Seven spray-painted murals pictured on Hare Marsh in east London

A series of spray-painted murals have been recreated by London-based street artist Abraham O from Paul Trevor's photographs to honour east London's history.

His portraits appear on a former Victorian textile warehouse at the corner of Cheshire Street in Shoreditch and document life in the East End.

Among the seven murals is Jewish novelist Emanuel Litvinoff who was born in east London and who also became known as a war poet while serving in the Army during World War Two.

Litvinoff's mural was completed on what would have been his 110th birthday and can be found near 110 Cheshire Street, the area where he grew up - his youngest son, Aaron, was "moved" when he saw the mural.

Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films A close-up black and white mural of a young woman captured by Paul Trevor in 1982.Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films
A young woman whose image Paul Trevor captured in a mural in 1982

Paul Trevor is a British photographer who is renowned for documenting life in the East End of London between the 1970s and 1990s, which can be found in his book In Your Face.

Five of artist Abraham O's close-up portraits are based on these images taken in the City and Brick Lane.

Jasmine Fisher, creative director of this project, emailed Trevor, who then selected these portraits, having looked at some of Abraham's work.

Trevor believes the young girl in the fourth mural - based on a 1982 photograph - could still be alive and is asking anyone who may know her to come forward.

Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films A general view of Abraham O, a London-based street artist, looking at the camera with his arms folded. In the background, there are seven murals that he made with spray paint. One is of Emanuel Litvinoff. Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films
Abraham O completed the murals on Monday 10 May

'Largest urban gallery'

Abraham O said the reason he became a street artist is because the art form is "accessible for everybody, for rich [people and] for poor [people]".

"I like the interaction that I leave with my art to the society," he added.

He says his focus for his art is on the eyes because they are "the windows to people's souls".

Fisher and Abraham aim to create cohesion between people through these murals and "give the local community something that they feel proud of".

"We're hoping that this might be the largest urban gallery," they told BBC London.

Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films At the front of the image, we can see Paul Trevor's book In Your Face and in the background, three images from the mural are blurred.Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films
In Your Face is a book by Paul Trevor of spontaneous portraits on the streets of east London
Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films A mid-shot picture of Jasmine Fisher, wearing a brown T-shirt and smiling with mouth closed at the camera. The murals are in shot, blurred in the background as the focus is on Jasmine.Benji Mitchell, Dancing Light Films
Jasmine Fisher is the creative director of this project

"People both use and abuse spray paint. I think a lot of people would associate it [spray paint] with mindless vandalism and graffiti and then there's Abraham creating these extraordinary portraits using spray paint and hopefully there should be something inspiring there, particularly to the younger community, I would hope," Ms Fisher said.

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