Al Luke's New Mural in Cape Town Takes Street Art Literally

February 2023 - South African contemporary artist and designer Al Luke, recently featured in Hypebeast Africa, has debuted his newest public mural in the Sea Point neighborhood of Cape Town titled Recollection.

Initiated by property developer Blok with the support of Our Future Cities (OFC), Recollection is a functional, interactive mural and pedestrian crosswalk that aims to improve public safety and add a dose of vibrant color to the city’s public spaces.

In an interview with 10and5, Al Luke shares his inspiration for the mural:

‘From a young age, Sea Point has always been a destination where I would go with my family as an outing to get close to the ocean…Now as a father, it is a place I take my family…With Recollection, I have tried to capture a snapshot of the Sea Point I know. This work is dedicated to all the people of Cape Town for always inspiring me.’

When asked what he expects from the public’s experience of the installation, the artist replied, ‘I think this work creates a balance of functionality. It is also a strong visual that highlights the pedestrian crossing for road users and hopefully creates an unexpected moment of joy for pedestrians. My hope is that this work changes the way we collectively see public spaces and how we can inject creativity into frequently used public spaces’.

As Blok CEO Jacques van Embden states, ‘there’s a deep hunger for these types of projects in every city’. The abstract, expressive Recollection street mural is a perfect example of the innovative, creative projects that can happen when artists, city planners and developers come together to make cities, both safer and visually inspiring.