What’s your Soul Food?

This project combined my two passions; Art and Cooking, which are often kept quite separate (did you know I have a secret second life as a Vegan Cafe Owner?!). The Greenway was a community project, sharing recipes by local residents which were incorporated into murals and signage at 3 public spaces within St Pauls, Bristol.

There are 91 languages spoken by the residents of Bristol, and what better way to connect people than with food? The recipes selected for the murals were Amina’s Samosas, Tara’s Dolma and Glen’s Ackee and Saltfish.

I worked alongside Sophie and Rob from Graft; a Graffiti duo living in St Pauls. They combine ‘1890’s Styles with 1980’s Flavour’ and describe their artwork as huge patterned wallpapers for buildings. Sophie designed the intricate patterns using the ingredients listed, as well as incorporating unusual plants that are growing in the area, such as Banana Leaves. Every element of the mural has a story behind it.

Sophie and Rob (Graft) outside St Pauls Learning Centre. The Green Way. Photo: Paul Blakemore courtesy The Architecture Centre.

It was my job to paint the lettering of course, and each word was carefully hand-painted on the walls. I really enjoyed painting the sign for Halston Drive Community Room. I picked the brightest colour from the mural pallet to really help it stand out. I wish that all council buildings had bright hand painted signs like this. The human touch of a hand-painted letter genuinely improves people’s well-being and is a key part of creating a welcoming, safer feeling space.

Spending many days on the streets painting, enabled me to truly engage with the local community and get a feel for the people who spend time in these spaces. Glen shared his knowledge of Ackee, the star ingredient of Jamaica’s national dish, Ackee and Saltfish. He described how beautiful the fruit is when ripe, and how it was getting more expensive and harder to find. I was surprised by how welcoming and friendly people were, everyone was so inquisitive about my techniques and offering to help where they could.

Glen, singing about Ackee and Saltfish outside of his kitchen at St Pauls Learning Centre. The Green Way. Photo: Paul Blakemore courtesy The Architecture Centre.

The best thing about my job is seeing the joy on people’s faces! My highlight of the project was seeing Tara run over to me whilst I painted her name on the local community room wall. She explained to her daughters how her recipe would be there for years to come and that they would be making it one day too. I’d never met someone so passionate about Vine Leaves, and Tara explained that food was a key way for her to share the traditions of her Kurdish culture. I’m looking forward to her opening her own restaurant one day.

Tara in front of her Dolma recipe at Halston Drive Community Room, St Pauls. The Green Way. Photo: Paul Blakemore courtesy The Architecture Centre.

At this time, in 2020, having outdoor spaces for the community to come together is so, so important. Sharing recipes and cooking together forges lasting relationships and supports networks of people from different cultures and backgrounds to live and share life together. This is so key to our health and wellbeing. I’d love to see community food growing projects in St Pauls as the next step, there’s nothing more satisfying in life than to grow your own food, cook it and eat it with your friends and family. 

The murals are within walking distance of each other, and can be found at St Pauls Learning Centre, Halston Drive Community Room and St Agnes Park.