Over the summer months of 2018 artist Shepherd Manyika explored ways of decorating or shifting the ‘interior’ design of Elmington Estate’s playground, through weekly experimentation with colour, pattern and scale.
What does the perfect place to play look like?
Shepherd Manyika worked with local children to explore ways of decorating the Elmington Estate playground, through weekly experimentation with colour, pattern and scale. Paintings and collage from each workshop were recycled and reused to take on other forms such as flags or wallpaper. Materials like scaffolding foam, dust sheets and bamboo were also repurposed to transform the playground with large scale tunnels and tent-like structures to crawl, play and hide in.
Shepherd Manyika, Let’s Decorate the Playground, Elmington Estate. Photo: Samantha Lippett
BIOGRAPHY
Shepherd Manyika is a London based artist whose work takes place in multiple formats and mediums. He is interested in memory and revisiting his childhood through his art practice, as well as exploring themes such as identity, representation, collaboration and access.
Shepherd Manyika, Let’s Decorate the Playground, Elmington Estate. Photo: Samantha Lippett