Street Artist Celebrates Notting Hill Identity with Frieze Installation

London street artist Endless has unveiled "Endless Frieze," an installation at the Cris Contini Contemporary Gallery that celebrates the identity of Notting Hill. The artwork incorporates buildings, street scenes, and portraits of local residents and personalities, created in real-time throughout the exhibition.

The installation aims to bring the community into the art world, according to Endless. "It's about the community and bringing them into the art world and into my world," he stated.

Featured in the exhibition are several individuals recognized for their contributions to the area's cultural fabric. Among them is Cheryl Devlin, a fourth-generation greengrocer whose family has operated a stall in the Portobello market for over a century. "I used to stand beside my mum and dad and sell lemons, five for a shilling," she recalled, reflecting on the area's past. Devlin noted how Notting Hill has changed, with fewer traditional market stalls and rising living costs impacting the community.

Jama Elmi, described as a local icon, expressed his affection for the neighborhood, calling it "vibrant" with "energy" and "love."

Allyson Williams MBE, a board member of Notting Hill Carnival Limited since 1975, highlighted the carnival's significance as part of her heritage. She launched her costume brand, Genesis Mask Band, in 1980, continuing a tradition brought by the Windrush generation.

Karl Amata, who works at Sound Records on All Saints Road, sees the exhibition as a positive development. "I hope it continues. We need more things like this to bring the community together," he said, noting a current lack of community gathering spaces.

Fashion icon Karen Millen, founder of the clothing brand of the same name, also expressed her honor at being included, calling Notting Hill an "epicentre of where people come for creation."

The exhibition's live, evolving nature is a deliberate artistic choice, with portraits added to the collage as they are taken. Endless acknowledged the creative risks involved, stating, "In art we say it's like a happy accident and that's when something good happens as well."

"Endless Frieze" is on display until the end of October.