Norway’s London based artist Zina is certainly one of the East End’s most prolific street artists. Her distinctive blue hued portraits are difficult to miss. Especially when painted in large scale and combined with her undoubted skill as a photo realist. A regular at street art festivals and a favourite with commissioners. Zina is also probably one of the most bankable street artists around.
It was no suprise therefore that, whilst leading a street art tour with a bunch of excitable German school kids we caught her hard at work. Zina was busy working on a giant blue luminous mural on the side of the Village Underground on Great Eastern Street.
Luminous Street Art by Zina
That mural was part of a series advertising the Sony Experia phone. It was organised with the help of Global Street Art. Then painted with special luminous paint so that when the night came and the lights came on, it would literally glow.
Helping her was Swedish artist Amara Por Dios. Herself a London local and another staple of the street art scene. The two have worked together a number of times. Most notably last year when Amara painted the giant wall around the corner. At that point it was Zina who rocked up to help.
Mural for Sony Experia
Painted over a couple of days the duo were a popular attraction. A crowd were there checking on the progress. Not least with the kids we took on the tour. A whole bunch of photographers from Sony were also present. They also wanted to capture the whole thing from beginning to end.
The big reveal was well into the night. It was courtesy of two specially installed lights on the roof of the gallery space. Once turned on the whole piece of work took on an entirely new quality. It started to make some sense of Sony’s ‘#ican see in the dark‘ promotion.
The spot is a popular location with all sorts of things going on and the Shoreditch Art Wall literally opposite. Pop along at most times of the week and it wouldn’t be that unusual to see some artists working away on either side with Zina’s blue hued spectacular just the latest in a long line of artist activity in an exciting area of the city.
Zina Glow in the Dark Gallery
For other posts featuring the art of Zina check out:
Femme Fierce 2014
Femme Fierce 2015
Great Eastern Street murals for Plan UK
Save Brixton Arches Campaign
Amara Por Dios Village Underground wall
Fascinating piece Stuart. That’s the 2nd glow in the dark work. The other being by DK in Old Street. I suspect that is part of the same campaign. I’ve yet to see both at night but hoping too soon.
Hey yes you’re right it is part of the same campaign. I haven’t seen it yet which is crazy as I don’t work too far away I should try and get over today 😉
Is it still there? I want to check it out on Saturday as that will be the last time I can get to London for awhile.
Hey Jenn yes it was still there as of yesterday, I went over to have a look
Thanks! I know that wall changes a lot and there’s quite a few new pieces I need to see before they go!
http://jenikya.com/blog
Finally got to Shoreditch for the first time in two months and it was gone. Not surprising, but I think I just missed it to a fresh new advert for the Krays film. Ditto a piece on Hanbury Street which also advertises the film but it is the largest piece I have seen by street artist Don. And I’ve missed two Village Underground walls, but something new was being painted…looked like perhaps it was going to also be the glow-in-the-dark paints? Sometimes the walls on Hanbury Street and Village Underground don’t change that often but they in the past couple of months.
I was there tonight, Thurs 13th but I didn’t see any glow effect. Does it only work if light is turned on it? Same experience at the DK wall near Old St too. Bit disappointed if it needs special light to work.
It should just need normal lights shined onto it. There were some installed at the top of the building which shone down, I didn’t look to see if they were still there though when I went last
Thanks. There are lights above and behind the wall. But I think they need to be shone onto it for better results. Re: DK wall in Clerkenwell, I’ve discovered they turned it off after 22 July. Still, all the work is amazing and that’s what really matters.