This George Michael mural celebrates his life with iconic images from his Wham! years and the solo career that followed.
The London Borough of Brent is now home to a beautiful nine-metre George Michael mural. The artwork is on a wall in Kingsbury – the same area where the late artist grew up and went to school. The singer’s death in 2016 led to an outpouring of grief, and this mural was commissioned to celebrate his life, legacy and all the positive contributions he made to the LGBTQ+ community. [Featured image: Studio Voltaire]
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It took just under a month for artist Dawn Mellor to complete the mural, which includes a collection of some of George Michael’s most poignant career highlights and life achievements. Visuals from the extremely popular Careless Whisper and Outside music videos are included in the piece of art, as is an iconic image of Michael blow-drying his hair on tour. There are also a number of interesting cultural references woven throughout the piece, from a Yellow Brick Road and a Monopoly board, to a suspended police helicopter.
The mural involves further references to the history of Kingsbury; for example, there is a small nod to John Logie Baird, the scientist who first demonstrated a working TV set. It is just one of 23 new artworks that have been unveiled in public spaces aiming to pay homage to the area’s past and present, as part of The Brent Biennial (an offshoot of Brent’s current reign as Borough of Culture 2020). To see the mural in person, head to 499 Kingsbury Road, Brent, NW9 9ED and if you want to check out some of the other art installations, you’ll find more info here.