6665. Hornsey Road, North London

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

More from our friend Northbanksy in the railway tunnel adjacent to the Emirates Stadium, home of the mighty Arsenal football club. The tunnel has become a hall of fame for Arsenal players, and a but of a gallery for the artist, with phenomenal footfall on match days. The first piece if of Kai Havertz (not a great likeness), a player who didn’t do too well at Chelsea, but has improved greatly since joining Arsenal. The words ‘waka waka, eh eh’ are a reference to ‘his’ song which reverberates around the stadium when he scores or performs well, as follows:

Tsamina, eh, eh, Waka waka, eh, eh, £60 million down the drain, Kai Havertz scores again

The lyrics are a corruption of Shakira’s hit record ‘Waka waka’.

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

The second player featured in Northbanksy’s faux stencil style, is Leandro Trossard, who is a bit of a super-sub, and scores a lot of goals considering the amount of game time he gets. This picture captures Trossard’s binocular goal celebration. The picture is accompanied by a typical football fan pre-match. More to come from Northbanksy.

6652. Hornsey Road, North London

Perspicere, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Perspicere, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

This piece by Perspicere is opposite the Banksy tree on Hornsey Road, London, and was photographed while walking to a Football match with my son a couple of weeks back. Not only was I not expecting the Banksy piece, but this thread installation by Perspicere was a superb bonus.

Perspicere, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Perspicere, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

It was a dark and foggy evening when we were passing by, and I dare say that this piece is probably best viewed in daylight. The threads, suspended from the edges of the board, combine to make out  a mature oak tree in a field, casting a long shadow. It is a wonderful composition and another beauty from the artist who uses this specialist technique. Another unexpected joy.

6648. Hornsey Road, North London

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

It feels odd posting this Banksy piece from the comfort of a Marrakesh hotel room only a couple of weeks after photographing it. I took the pictures in the dark on a cold night walking to a football match with my son after seven hours of driving. It was my son who spotted the famous piece painted last year, and in the spirit of taking pictures, no matter what the conditions, I managed to get these unusual snaps.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

I had wondered where this piece was, but love the fact that we accidentally walked past it rather than sought it out. The misty night scene adds a different perspective on the piece, which was a clever work by Banksy, who replaced the foliage of a tree on the wall behind it, after it had been heavily cut back.

Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Banksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

In the bottom left of the piece is a stencil figure with a spray gun in his hands who presumably had been spraying the foliage on the walls. The figure is now behind Perspex. Last year was a good year for the Bristol born artist, and maybe on future trips to the old smoke I’ll find some of his animals from 2024. Arsenal won a tricky match against Ipswich 1-0, so overall a good day out.

6641. Hornsey Road, North London

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

Good morning folks, a really quick couple of posts today, there is lots of sightseeing to be done. Two more Arsenal characters from Northbanksy in the railway tunnel for you, starting with a fan’s favourite, Gabriel Martinelli, one of three Gabriels in the current Arsenal squad. We could do with a few more goals from him, but he loves the club, and that can be enough.

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

The second piece portrays an unlikely hero at Arsenal, but one who is proving to be invaluable. It is Nicolas Jover, the set-piece coach, whose tactical genius is the envy of teams all over the world. There is a little plaque, which I failed to photograph, in the style of a street sign just above this piece which reads Jover’s Corner, which is a fun play on words. Northbanksy doing the faithful proud.

6631. Hornsey Road, North London

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

The road tunnel under the railway on Hornsey Road has become a gallery for the work of Northbanksy and his tribute portraits to a plethora of Arsenal players past and present, and here are a couple more of his stencil-style pieces.

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

Thounsands of Arsenal fans shuffle along the pavement on match days and stop to admire and enjoy these, if I am perfectly honest, quite crude pieces. The portrait of Ian Wright is a particular favourite, as he embodies the spirit of Arsenal, and his love for the club is so infectious. This piece is also the only one in the tunnel that includes any colour, so it stands out.

Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024
Northbanksy, Hornsey Road, North London, December 2024

The portrait of Mohamed Elneny, until recently a loyal and long-serving Arsenal player, reminds us of the good natured and team player, who although not the best footballer in the world, did a magnificent job for the club over many years. I absolutely love this gallery by Northbanksy… more to come.

6443. Hornsey Road, North London

Northbanksy, (Mikel Arteta), Hornsey Road, North London (Forever), September 2024
Northbanksy, (Mikel Arteta), Hornsey Road, North London (Forever), September 2024

A short while ago I went up to London for my first football match of the season, to watch the mighty Arsenal play at home to Leicester City. I had arranged to meet a friend in a pub before the match and passed by a wall of black and white stencil pieces by the brilliantly named artist Northbanksy. The North Bank was the north stand at Highbury, the former home of Arsenal FC, where the nosiest home fans would congregate. You can see what Northbanksy has done with his name. This first piece features the Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, and the quote is from his song, which is as follows:

We’ve got Super Mik Arteta,

He knows exactly what we need,

Kieran at the back, Gabi in attack,

Arsenal on the way to Champions League.

I have seen better stencils if I am honest, but I can’t help loving this.

Northbanksy, (Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka), Hornsey Road, North London (Forever), September 2024
Northbanksy, (Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka), Hornsey Road, North London (Forever), September 2024

There are about a dozen or so stencils and this one features two of Arsenal’s home grown players, starboy Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe, who moved to Fulham at the start of this season. Northbanksy has selected a shot of the two that epitomises their friendship and reproduced it for all fans to admire. More to come from Northbanksy soon.