Street artists descended upon the capital for the London Mural Festival – including a female-led art group.
Members of the WOM collective, who are forging their own path in a traditionally male-dominated field, took part in the festival last month.
Alba Bernal, a street artist from Spain and member of the WOM collective is using her work to advocate for greater representation of women in mural art.
Bernal, 33, known by the street art name Damitta, chose the name when she was just 15 years old, around the time her passion for painting began to blossom.
Regarding her chosen name, Bernal said: “Damitta is the diminutive of Dama, which translates in English as ‘little lady’.
“When I started to paint, there were only a few women in the field, so I wanted to make it known.”
The Spanish painter moved to London from Madrid, initially intending to stay for only a year.
However, she extended her stay because she felt that the culture of London embraced both her and her art, in stark contrast to her experience in Madrid, where she said that street art is seen as a nuisance.
She explained: “London feels like home for street artists and here, people love it.
“I live in North London near Parkland walk, and even though it’s not very ‘legal’ to paint there, when you create a mural, people are like ‘thank you so much’, they are delighted.”
For Bernal, the festival provides a gateway to connect with London’s diverse communities through art.
It is through the festival where Bernal teamed up with a group of female artists belonging to WOM, all working together to increase the visibility of women in street art.
Bernal added: “99% of the time I produce women’s portraits, I paint as an extension of myself, but I want the public to see their own stories in it.”
Rosie Haas, the marketing manager of the festival, is upbeat about the impact this year’s event has had.
She said: “The festival has proved there’s a huge appetite for street art in London.
“The genre has grown since the 1970s and keeps getting more popular in London, particularly with high-profile artists like Banksy making recent appearances.”
In total the festival has enabled artists to liven up London by painting 170 murals over 15 boroughs, with a visual story to be discovered in every corner.
With more murals lining the streets, the festival is providing a boost for both artists and aspiring creatives.
On this, Haas said: “There’s more interest from communities and property owners to have murals commissioned in their local area – which is fantastic as it shows a real appreciation of how art can transform spaces and communities.”
As street art continues to grow in popularity, Bernal and other female artists are not just painting murals, but they are transforming public spaces with an unrepressed autonomy.
Bernal added: “This isn’t just art for art’s sake, it’s a movement.”
Featured Image: Credit Damitta, London Mural Festival and Global Street Art
Image(s) in article: Credit Damitta, Zabou, London Mural Festival and Global Street Art
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