Shantell Martin is proud to return to her roots with her latest commissioned piece for the Thamesmead Hoarding Project in Southeast London, where she was raised. Local artists in and from Thamesmead were given the unique opportunity to share their vision of the town on a massive scale, having been commissioned to create designs for a 500m hoarding along Harrow Manorway at Coralline Walk, as part of a huge mural celebrating the town’s rich natural and cultural heritage.
"I'm so honored to be included in this project among so many talented artists. As some of you may know, I grew up in Thamesmead, and this is quite possibly the most surprising collaboration I’ve completed this year, not because of its scope or notoriety but because it fundamentally created the opportunity for me to come face to face with WHY I make art. Because what no one could have predicted was that my work would be displayed directly below the space I grew up in. Literally, I would look outside my window as a child, into this area. No one knew that, it was not a conscious choice. It was only when I visited the mural in person, that we discovered the location of the mural was intertwined with my very own history and means so much when looking back at my life and seeing how far I've come" - Shantell Martin
Along with the mural, Martin was commissioned to create the cover for the 2022 Thamesmead Culture Guide
