NO FEAR

Street art is an often provocative medium influenced by political and social issues and has a spirit of rebellion and contestation. Like cartoonists in daily papers, graffiti artists respond quickly to developing situations but their work is often fleeting and quickly covered by the next statement.

I spotted this gorgeous Nina Simone on today's walk around Shoreditch. Painted by Pegasus showing solidarity with anti-racism protesters. The artist depicted the late legendary Ms. Simone on a wall on Thursday (4th June 2020), and underneath the image he printed one of her most iconic quotes: “I’ll tell you what freedom means to me: no fear.”

In the documentary “Nina: An Historical Perspective,” Simone uses the quote to explain what it means to be free.

“I’ve had a couple times on stage when I really felt free and that’s something else. That’s really something else,” she says. “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear. If I could have that half of my life — no fear. Lots of children have no fear. That’s the only way I can describe it. That’s not all of it, but it’s something to really, really feel. Like a new way of seeing. Like a new way of seeing something.”

See the clip here: https://youtu.be/Si5uW6cnyG4

Extra is more new street art outside Shoreditch High Street station.