Our sixth Illustrator in Residence used her residency to map the area around our former site in King’s Cross.

In the months leading up to the pandemic, Peony Gent walked the area with her sketchbook, noting traces of its history in its memorials and industrial architecture while observing the ever-moving present.

This outdoor exhibition presented a series of 29 works drawn from Gent’s observations of the recent past: friends meeting in Coal Drops Yard, shopkeepers at work in Caledonian Road and the flow of commuters.

Her illustrations of momentary scenes in this central London neighbourhood were combined with poems written in response to her own mapping of the area, as well as the memories of those who have lived and worked in King’s Cross over the years.

Alongside the drawings were comics that recorded resonant encounters: a poignant chance conversation with a piano player at St Pancras station, and memories of a hot afternoon on Crofters Way.

Part of The Outside Art Project

Generously supported by the Barbara and Philip Denny Trust