Root Cellar Mural

"Be like the bee." It’s a fairly straight forward message that has been dazzlingly conveyed by Tova Hasiwar and Sylvie Verwaayen. This two-story tall mural celebrates ecological sustainability and the vital importance of pollinators by depicting local plants and a honeybee. Perhaps the mural was inspired by a local business owner, who suggested that honeybees are an amazing model for how to live and work collectively.

The mural also illustrates sustainable food systems and a diverse array of plants such as the anise bloom, wild borage, and the morel mushroom. Looking at the mural one can immediately notice a bold juxtaposition between the foreground and the background. The high realism of the flora and fauna, so precisely and confidently painted, seem to be engaged in a rhythmic tension with the kaleidoscopic sky.

From a compositional point of view one can sense a flowing type of movement, maybe a dance from the top to the bottom to the right and then to the left right up to the mural’s focal point which is the bee. This movement or dance is a compositional key that captures the viewer’s attention and interest. It is purely an enjoyable experience to look at and explore this mural. Just be careful not to look at it for too long if you are driving down Dundas Steet heading West.

Image sourced from the Tourism London website, https://www.londontourism.ca/murals