Students’ prints revive Barking town centre

Designs by fine art students are being used to revamp shop fronts in Barking town centre.

Paint the town artwork by students - Credit: Archant

The pupils were given the challenge of coming up with prints that could enhance and renovate shop exteriors as part of the Paint the Town project, commissioned by the council.

Their work was showcased at a special viewing at the Barking Learning Centre last Tuesday (4) where the winning designs were chosen by a panel of judges.

Ferah Salyanci, 19, and Iain Brown, 54, were chosen as the winners, both receiving £50 and the chance to see their designs blown up onto one of the participating shops’ shutters.

Ferah, whose pattern was inspired by Moroccan tiles, said: “I gave my design a folded paper look which made it seem like a 3D design. The aim of my repeated pattern was to bring the cultural patterns together.”

Iain’s design incorporated the shape of sails, harking at Barking’s historical fishing industry.

Andy Graves, fine art course leader at the college, commented: “The Paint the Town project has been a fantastic opportunity for our students. Not only has this been a great way of being able to showcase their work, they have also had the opportunity to experience working with professionals and build their wider skills sets, such as working to deadlines and specific client requirements.”