British/Turkish Artist Gulsun Erbil’s mosaic mural titled “Joy to the world” which was created in 1986-1987 on Tottenham’s Broadwater Farm Estate has been Grade II listed, saving it from potential demolition and preserving a vital example of London’s under-represented heritage.
Mural represents and celebrates equality and diversity. London is one of the most multi-cultural cities around the globe and in recent decades, become one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Over 300 languages are spoken in Greater London, all cultures, all religions are cherished! The mural represents unity and commemorates all those concepts in Gulsun Erbil’s mosaic mural which celebrates equality and harmony.
In an ever changing world, the innumerable aspects of our humanity all our ways of being, knowing and moving through the world are contained and created in this mosaic mural! It was commissioned straight after the riots in Broadwater Farm estate 37 years ago and it has brought such an asset to its environment and it’s residents.
The mural stands boldly and proudly at residential block, Tangmere house at Broadwater Farm Estate and is 100 metre squares tall representing acceptance, tolerance and the importance of unifying race, ethnic origin and color, religion and creed, sexual orientation , age furthermore ability!
Using a Byzantine mosaic style technique and applied to the exterior of the five storey concrete facia rejoicing universal values.
The artist Gulsun Erbil commented on the listing news ‘My message is Peace, love and equality, I would like to advise all new generations to create, all the good messages can come to the world through creation”…
Special thank you to C20 Society for their ongoing support….
Gülsün Erbil’s mosaic painting titled ‘Equality, Love, Peace’, which she painted between 1985 and 1987 at Tangmere House in the Haringey district of London, was independently removed with the support of the Broadwater Farm Residents Association (BFRA) after it was decided to demolish the building. It was decided to preserve it as a building.
The commission, which made the decision regarding Erbil’s mural called ‘masterpiece monument’, which is accepted as ‘English Heritage’, stated that there was technical and artistic competence in the use of color, composition and visuals regarding the work, and that peace, equality and harmony were achieved with figurative, abstract and symbolic motifs in a lively composition. He stated that their universal values are reflected. Gülsün Erbil became the first Turkish artist whose work was recorded as ‘Historical Heritage’. Erbil, who graduated from Istanbul Mimar Sinan University, Department of Painting in 1971, lives in Turkey some of the year and in London some of the time.
