Paintings of London

Trevor Burgess moved to Hackney in 1999 and was inspired to paint the life that he saw on the street.

I wanted to paint the everyday lives of people in the city at the outset of the 21^st century as I was experiencing it. That mix-up of culture, food, ways of dressing, music, languages is so special. I love London’s street markets, and these have been a constant subject for paintings. When I lived in Hackney, it was Ridley Road Market, and now, living in Deptford, it’s the High Street,…

People settle here over generations and find a way to make a life, whether it’s someone like me, a country boy from Yorkshire, or someone from elsewhere on the planet. The physical architecture of London is very distinctive – the endless terraces and suburban streets can be monotonous, but there’s also a mix-up of layers of historical and modern architecture that creates an atmosphere.

Featured in Londonist Top 25 exhibitions to see in October here