The mural is ine of the area’s most recognisable pieces of street art in Lewisham and is known as the “His & Hers” mural or “Deptford Pearls”.
Located on the junction of Deptford High Street and Griffin Street, it has been a landmark of the area for over a decade.
Originally created by artist Patricio Forrester and his public art collective Artmongers in 2002, as part of the Deptford X arts festival, the mural quickly became an icon.
The mural is ine of the area’s most recognisable pieces of street art in Lewisham.(Image: Artmongers)
Created on two anthropomorphic chimneys as the canvas and silhouette, it features a design with one adorned with a string of pearls and the other with a necktie.
However, over time the work has begun to fade, with cracks appearing to the structure of the building, and so earlier this year community members and the charity Bold Vision launched a fundraiser in a bid to raise £3,532 to restore the much-loved artwork.
The collective confirmed the restoration was completed this autumn, thanking the community for its support and noting that contributions are still being accepted to cover remaining expenses.
“We completed the full restoration,” Artmongers wrote in a social media post. “We have received lots of positive encouragement from people on the street.”
The crowdfunder has raised £2,384 with pledges from 79 donors to help raise funds to restore the artwork, with a further £1,148 needed to fully cover the costs of the restoration, which was successfully completed on October 4.
Patricio Forrester said: “We are very happy to have restored our iconic mural before the weather turns.
“We really believe beauty and care are really important for the way we relate to others in public spaces – in particular during this destructive and violence times.
“We are grateful to all 78 local individuals who contributed to our crowdfunder to cover some of our costs.
“Please consider chipping in to take us from 67 percent to 100 percent.
“Although we don’t do it for the money, it would be nice to get paid for it ‘
The work was never meant as a literal depiction of gender roles, and instead it explores difference and duality, and has appeared in countless art guides and street art walks.
Now fully refreshed, the His and Hers mural once again brightens the skyline above Deptford High Street and remains one of the area’s most well known and iconic murals.
