ES ‘London reopens’ covers

The countdown is on: London’s shops (and those in the rest of England) are reopening next Monday.

We’re excited about this at magCulture: we have a special window display planned, and a nice little promo for our first customers that day (check our newsletter tomorrow). We’ve even installed a new hand sanitiser station!

And we’re not alone; walking around Clerkenwell earlier today, all the shops are buzzing as they get ready for customers.

So it’s nice to see ES Magazine, the free weekly that comes with the free Evening Standard newspaper, celebrate the news with a set of four special covers today.

Yinka Ilori’s Sun & Trees ‘portrays the return of longer summer days and a fresh start after a long winter.’

Lakwena used a combination of words, pattern and acid-bright colours to make a strikingly visual and powerful statement. ‘At the start of 2020 I began making a painting that read ‘Nothing Can Separate Us’ to hang in my home. Shortly after, the pandemic broke out, we went into lockdown and the painting took on a wider meaning.

Jeremy Deller chose words ‘Blue skies, smiling at me’ influenced by the Irving Berlin song Blue Skies. As a 4th floor resident of a building, Deller considers clouds and sky to be his outdoor space and his art draws inspiration from that view.  

Camille Walala’s cover is inspired by London’s architecture. ‘I wanted to show movement in the structures and bring uplifting colours to the composition. The artwork symbolises our city springing back to life after this dormant period of lockdowns.’

Deputy art director Jessica Landon commisioned the four artists. the magazine is available around London Thursday 8 and Friday 9 April.