Hackney Mosaic Project’s Magnum Opus
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Tessa Hunkin
On Hackney Downs, you can view Hackney Mosaic Project‘s magnum opus, an entire open air theatre covered with a vast lyrical tableau of wild creatures which won Mosaic of the Year 2014 from the British Association for Modern Mosaic.
I visited Tessa Hunkin, the inspirational designer and leader of the project, while she applied the finishing touches of grouting in advance of the unveiling. “It suits us to have our workshop here in the Pavilion on Hackney Downs,” Tessa confided to me, “because the park attracts people from the local community who feel excluded through illness, loneliness or other problems – they see a friendly place and they come and join us making mosaics.”
“We like to do big mosaics, it inspires us to work on an epic scale,” Tessa admitted to me recklessly.
The first visitors arrive to admire the completed mosaics
The model for the design
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I love the stately trees (palms) that provide the parentheses for this Great Work (or magnum opus, which sounds SO much more impressive). The tree motifs are like sentries, standing on guard and providing a warm welcome for visitors. The animals, insects and plants are depicted in such a humane way, and the borders add such distinction to the installation. And many thanks for including the delightful MODEL for the project — for all of us who thrive on seeing the “inner workings”.
So looking forward to a whole volume devoted to these inspiring mosaics, and learning the back story of each project.
When I visit London next fall, I am going to take a self-guided mosaic tour! Such wonderful work!
Thank you for this series of posts.