Known for her bold and vibrant designs, that blend typography with paintings and installations, London-based artist Lakwena Maciver is here to make a statement.
Her murals have a sense of urgency to them, bringing forward phrases and mottos such as: “Together We Stand,” “The Power of Girl,” and “Raise Your Hopes.” Simple, yet powerful, her murals serve as uplifting mantras, a call for action, and a symbol of positivity within the city landscape.
“I have my own practice making paintings and I do commissioned work alongside this – predominantly large-scale public murals,” explained Maciver in an interview with Lecture in Progress. “I also sometimes collaborate with brands on products or campaigns.”
Talking about her work process she added: “I work from my studio above Ridley Road Market in Dalston. Every day looks different depending on what projects I’ve got on. There’s always a lot of admin and answering emails – that doesn’t change. Sometimes I’ll be planning a mural, sometimes reading and writing as research, sometimes contacting suppliers, sometimes I’ll be outdoors painting a mural, sometimes prepping boards to paint. It’s very varied. I also often travel internationally to paint murals, or to exhibit work abroad.”
“I’m not much of a self-promoter,” she admitted. “The large-scale nature of my work has helped in this respect, as it’s like a giant advert for me in a way. Instagram is also helpful, although I have, at times, a tortured relationship with it. If I could, I’d leave it altogether as I find it overwhelming to be confronted with so many images, particularly the highlights of everyone else’s lives and careers – it’s distracting. So now I don’t follow anyone, I just put out what I’m doing as much as I can, which isn’t much.”
With 100k followers on Instagram, it’s a good thing she continues sharing her work, adding a pop of color and positivity to our otherwise bland feeds.
