Art / News
Sarah Everard London vigil illustration on display on Bristol billboards
Billboards across Bristol have been taken over with an illustration of the Sarah Everard vigil on Clapham Common in London.
The piece is by Niki Groom, aka Miss Magpie Spy, an artist who specialises in fashion, beauty and lifestyle illustration.
Groom used to do reportage illustration for Bristol24/7 including the unveiling of Banksy’s Devolved Parliament at Bristol Museum and the Balloon Fiesta.
Entitled All Under the Night Sky, the artwork features protestors standing on Clapham Common holding placards and banners.
Messages on the banners crowdsourced from social media include ‘On my way home, I want to be free, not courageous’, ‘I can’t believe we still have to protest this shit’ and ‘Today I choose rage’.
The artwork will remain on the billboards for a fortnight thanks to outdoor advertising company Out of Hand, with the aim of sparking debate around women’s safety and the policing of protests.
The image is also available to purchase as a giclee art print, with a donation from each print split equally between Refuge Charity, The National Stalking Helpline, and local charity Refugee Women of Bristol.
The illustration on display between Stokes Croft and the Bearpit – photo: Martin Booth
Groom said that she hopes the art “makes people think and starts conversations”.
She said: “There is no quick fix for the issues that women face. People from minority groups have been saying for years that these deep-rooted problems in our society are structural, and it’s true that to tackle them will take time and effort from all people.
“Women will only see change if men want to see it too.”
Five billboards and three posters featuring the artwork are going on display – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: Big Jeff’s art to be displayed on billboards across Bristol
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