Natural adventures

Serendipity is real – some things are just meant to be. I recently ran a workshop in Holborn, London and had engineered enough time, after the event, to walk from Holborn to Bedford Square where I lived with my parents for a few years when I was home from University. I simply wanted to see the old place and feel that nostalgia for a time when I was in my prime. To get there, I did a spot of psychogeography, knowing roughly where I was heading, but taking a random route to get there. My reward was to stumble across this Dan Kitchener extravaganza on the NYX Hotel in Southampton Row. I had no idea of its existence.

I imagine that Dan Kitchener charged a hefty sum for this extraordinary commission incorporating a collection of pieces. The first section features one of his incredible rainy urban Tokyo scenes full of nocturnal buzz and bustle – a scene that he has perfected over many years.

Adjacent to this is a beautiful portrait, stunningly painted, of a woman wearing a see-through plastic coat and pink neon glasses, straight out of the dystopian world of Blade Runner. Indescribably brilliant.

Next up, opposite the entrance to the hotel, is this concrete column painted with an outstanding ‘wet window’ effect piece. This is such a clever technique that leaves you wondering, how on earth does he do this?

Finally, and on a huge elevation, Dan Kitchener has painted a piece which extends from the top of the hotel to the ground, a total of eleven floors I think – a truly world-class piece.

The top section of the mural features some stylised views of the city, while the bottom is a busy wet London scene, complete with red buses and black cabs – perfect for a tourist audience. Rarely does one get to see such a collection of artwork, and yet here it is in the centre of London – I wonder how many people simply walk past it without so much as a glance – more fool they. A perfect end to a great day in London.