A work by the artist Zabou, a highly acclaimed French street artist and painter who has lived and worked in London since 2012. She is internationally renowned for her large, hyper-realistic black-and-white portraits.

Although it resembles a classic horror or zombie image, this work is historically closely linked to the neighbourhood’s infamous past. It was painted in Whitechapel / Spitalfields, an area known worldwide for the murders committed by Jack the Ripper.

The work dates from 2015 but has been regularly updated since then. At the time, Zabou was commissioned to create a piece that alludes to this dark past. The portrait depicts one of Jack the Ripper’s victims, rendered in a terrifying, ghostly style as if she were rising from the dead.

The work is a perfect example of how Zabou utilises the urban environment. The wooden planks, the bars on the door and the exposed brick wall reinforce the sense that the woman is trapped or trying to escape. For this reason, the artwork has also become a regular stop on local Jack the Ripper walking tours and street art walks.