Van Dang

https://www.instagram.com/freeartuk/

https://freeart.org.uk/hope-not-hate/

@FreeartUK

<div>The 'Hope Not Hate' mural on the Ambassador House Forecourt was designed by artist Van Dang @FreeartUK was selected to design the mural as part of Croydon Council's regeneration of the forecourt and who worked with teenagers from Young Croydon.&nbsp; On her website https://freeart.org.uk/hope-not-hate/ Van Dang says "I was painting the front mural at Ambassador House when the first Covid-19 lockdown struck the UK on 23rd March 2020. I was then stuck in the house for months, then the death of George Floyd shook the world. I am not black, I am not white either. People rarely view me as a threat as I look little but it doesn’t mean I don’t experience racism or discrimination living in the UK. I felt pain when someone was knelt on the neck to death – the choking, trying to gasp the last breath and fighting for life. All life matters and for whatever reason, a death of a human being no matter what skin colour is not acceptable. Therefore, I painted HOPE NOT HATE. David – my neighbour – a member of Thornton Heath Community Action Team (THCAT) @thornton_heath_c_a_t sat on the dirty pavement with me for days and we painted the mural together. Yashika and Vania brought me ice cream, N. gave me lunch and a coat. I don’t know why he decided I needed a coat but he did and I appreciate everyone who dropped by and gave me words of encouragement.</div><div>At 11:00am 20th June 2020, my friend Andrea Perry and I organised the <a href="https://freeart.org.uk/blm/">“Thornton Heath stands with Black Lives Matter”</a> demonstration on Ambassador House forecourt. We had to put in a lot of safety measures with the Council and the police in order for the event to go ahead but we received amazing support from our guest speakers, artists, local politicians, Age UK, Thornton Heath Community Action Team (THCAT), our volunteers and local residents". <br>Mural commissioned by Croydon Council 2019</div>

Hope Not Hate

<div>The 'Hope Lives Here' mural just behind the pedestrian entrance gate to Bensham Manor Allotments on Kynaston Road CR7 7AZ.&nbsp; It is a sub-set of Van Dang's 'Hope not Hate' set of wall murals in Thornton Heath.&nbsp; Van Dang mused "I was painting the front mural at Ambassador House, 1 Brigstock Road, CR7 7JG when the first Covid-19 lockdown struck the UK on 23rd March 2020. I was then stuck in the house for months then the death of George Floyd shook the world. I am not black, I am not white either. People rarely view me as a threat as I look little but it doesn’t mean I don’t experience racism or discrimination living in the UK." The 'Hope Lives Here' mural followed a set of key incidents in the artist's life in early 2020. Van Dang said "On 1st February 2020, I arranged to meet a group of friends to celebrate Lunar New Year in China Town London but one of my friends wondered should we cancel the meet up as there was a fatal virus spreading around China. I said we will be fine as we were living in one of the world’s most advance medical countries. 23rd March 2020, the world turned upside down. A neighbour of a friend who was in his 40s – a strong healthy man – passed away due to Covid19. Supermarket shelves were raided empty. People swirled around me anywhere I went and gave me really bad looks. I am Vietnamese so I look Chinese to everyone. Everyone was intense and then the first lockdown started. The world stood still.</div><div>There were no air planes in the sky. No traffic on the road. Central London was deserted. I didn’t know what this virus was? How did it spread? Why is it here? What do we do to stop it? I woke up every morning checking the death toll around the world. It was a very confusing time so I thought we needed a splash of colour and optimistism in our life. Therefore I painted 'Hope lives here' at the back alley of my house with the help of my son and the dog. The mural finished on Day 8 of lockdown 30th March 2020. People going to the allotment said it brings them smiles and I hope it will for many years to come."</div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp;</div>

Hope Lives Here

https://www.instagram.com/freeartuk

https://freeart.org.uk

<div>In eight days local designer and artist Van Dang @freeartuk with the help of over 30 local people from Thornton Heath, painted the mural and transformed a dreary white wall into a colourful Thornton Heath feature with this beautifully designed peacock symbolising benevolence, patience, kindness, compassion and knowledge.&nbsp; Over one hundred people turned up to a workshop organised by Artist Van Dang at the Hindu Temple and 220 people voted online for their choice of three designs for the mural with the 'Peacock' artwork winning.&nbsp; <br>Commissioned by Croydon Council 2018<br><br></div>

Peacock

<div>The 'Kindness Lives Here' mural along the steps leading up to Ambassador House complements the overarching 'Hope Not Hate' mural on the Ambassador House Forecourt by artist Van Dang @FreeartUK.&nbsp; On her website&nbsp; https://freeart.org.uk/hope-not-hate/&nbsp; artist Van Dang describes what set in motion her design of the 'Hope Not Hate' theme of murals.&nbsp; Van says "I was painting the front mural at Ambassador House when the first Covid-19 lockdown struck the UK on 23rd March 2020. I was then stuck in the house for months then the death of George Floyd shook the world. I am not black, I am not white either. People rarely view me as a threat as I look little but it doesn’t mean I don’t experience racism or discrimination living in the UK. I felt pain when someone was knelt on the neck to death – the choking, trying to gasp the last breath and fighting for life. All life matters and for whatever reason, a death of a human being no matter what skin colour is not acceptable. Therefore, I painted HOPE NOT HATE.</div><div>David – my neighbour – a member of Thornton Heath Community Action Team @thornton_heath_c_a_t sat on the dirty pavement with me for days and we painted the mural together. Yashika and Vania brought me ice cream, N. gave me lunch and a coat. I don’t know why he decided I needed a coat but he did and I appreciate everyone who dropped by and gave me words of encouragement.</div><div>At 11am 20th June 2020, my friend Andrea Perry and I organised the <a href="https://freeart.org.uk/blm/">“Thornton Heath stands with Black Lives Matter”</a> demonstration on Ambassador House square. We had to put in a lot of safety measures with the council and the police in order for the event to go ahead but we received amazing support from our guest speakers, artists, local politicians, Age UK, Thornton Heath Community Action Team, our volunteers and local residents". <br>Commissioned by Croydon Council 2019 as part of the regeneration of Ambassador House Forecourt.</div>

Street Art Cities

https://www.instagram.com/freeartuk/

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