In north London there’s a very unusual stained glass window – where you can pray to the god of fried chicken nuggets.
Before the righteous start writing letters of protest, it’s an artwork by the Margate-based painter Jack Hirons and is a sort of homage to a locally famous chicken-in-a-box seller
The Chick-King fast food restaurant is next to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is a legendary location for football fans to get some greasy protein, so the artist has created a shrine to the fried chicken seller — and it’s on display inside the Spurs souvenir shop.
The stained glass window also doubles as a chicken shop menu. The idea is that the artwork connects the dots between football, food, and religion, with Tottenham as its church and the gleaming bronze cockerel atop its stadium as the deity worshipped by the fans.
Just like Catholics eating the body of Christ at Sunday Mass, football supporters make their pre-match pilgrimage to Chick-King to feast on wings and fried thighs.
This is just one item in an exhibition, which is mainly a series of chicken-themed monochrome paintings. But read the details, as the charcoal used to make the paintings is made from the charred and crushed bones of fried chicken sold at Chick-King.
It’s a mix of an exhibition, all very obviously chicken-themed, and some of the paintings are curiously compelling.
However, the stained glass window is undeniably the star of the show, and they’ve even installed it in a room with Gregorian chanting and an altar space for worship.
Oh, heavenly Fried Chicken, hallowed be thy flavour,
Thy crispy skin, thy juicy meat, our taste buds savour.
Give us this day our daily drumstick,
And forgive us our hunger, as we forgive those who eat before us.
Lead us not into the temptation of tofu,
But deliver us from blandness.
For thine is the crunch, the spice, and the glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.
The exhibition, Fowl Play, is at the OOF Gallery, which is inside the Tottenham Football Club’s souvenir shop.
It’s open Sun, Mon, then Thur to Sat – closed on Tues and Wed. The exhibition runs until 11th May 2024.
To visit, head to the Tottenham Experience at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. When inside, just head around the right towards the exit, and you’ll easily spy the gallery inside the shop next to the spiral staircase.
I’d recommend checking if there’s a football match on the day, as arriving when there is one can offer a very different visitor experience.
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