In October 2024, a new tile mosaic celebrating the history and culture of New Malden was installed just outside New Malden train station.
The artists behind the design are Karen Francesca and Carrie Reichardt, who worked in collaboration with ATM Street Art.
They have also worked on many other amazing tile mosaics, including ‘The Elm Tree of Life’ at Finsbury Park Station.
Francesca says that she wants this artwork to “facilitate art-making in communities and then create permanent artworks that are a testament to that process.
“We want to transform neglected urban spaces into a vibrant celebration of local culture and talent…while highlighting lesser-known histories.”
This has been done by involving the community in their designs, which in the New Malden mural is seen in the handmade tiles worked into the mosaic which were made by community groups, schools, and the public.
She states that “this is an important part of the process of engagement in communities as it means we spend time together, working with clay and getting to know each other.
“People input what is important to them and then see their creations in the main body of the work.”
Francesca outlines that the inspiration for this piece came from “research into the different communities and exploration of the historical archives.”
She details how the team “explored symbols and imagery associated with the Korean and Tamil communities and came up with the main structure for the artwork.”
Central to the design is the hibiscus, the national flower of Korea, also called mugunghwa or rose of Sharon meaning ‘eternal blossom that never fades.’
"We included a number of other national flowers in the artwork, including those from Singapore, North Korea and the English rose."
The mural showcases many facets of New Malden’s history and culture including “the Decca story, local musicians, some details about famous local women, as well as the factories that gave rise to the thriving population of Koreans”
This is done by incorporating newspaper clippings and old photos into the design.
These images and texts are “printed onto ceramic tiles” and become part of the mosaic.
As Francesca notes the unveiling of the artwork “gives the opportunity for all the separate groups to come together and celebrate the collective achievement."
