On arrival to Camberwell from Brixton, riders of the local bus service can spot a version of Japanese Artist Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa, an image very much recognised if not always identified. This version is actually reversed to make it appear as if the wave is about to crash into the alley.
The piece was created in 1998 for the Camberwell Arts Festival by artist Domonic Swords who lived in the building at the time. The mural is painted directly onto the bricks and is in fairly good condition. With no reason for it to be removed, let’s hope this copy of Japanese art continues to welcome people into Camberwell.
UPDATE 2012 The mural was recently damaged in a fire (3rd April 2012). The left hand side shows smoke damage. It is not known if this will be easy to repair or if anyone will want to do this.
This mural is under threat
