Claudette Johnson’s ‘Three Women’ mural, inspired by her earlier work and Picasso, celebrates the Black female experience while contributing to the station’s public art initiative.

Artist and Turner Prize 2024 nominee Claudette Johnson has unveiled her first public artwork, Three Women, at Brixton Underground station as part of Transport for London’s Art on the Underground programme. This mural, inspired by her earlier work Trilogy 1982-86, reflects the Black female experience while referencing Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Comprising a triptych of Black female figures, Three Women invites viewers to engage with their self-possessed subjectivity and challenges traditional narratives that often misrepresent Black women in Western art.

Continuing the legacy of murals at Brixton Underground station, which has showcased prominent artists such as Denzil Forrester and Joy Labinjo since the programme began in 2018, Johnson’s work connects to the local murals of the 1980s. As commuters enter the station, they will encounter three figures that celebrate the strength and presence of Black individuals, emphasising the vital role of public art in community storytelling. Johnson’s work is also featured in the Turner Prize 2024 exhibition at Tate Britain, just three stops away from Brixton, where she continues to inspire and provoke thought through her art.

‘Three Women’ can be seen at the entrance to Brixton station now. art.tfl.gov.uk.