A new work of art has appeared in the entrance to Brixton tube station, called 5 more minutes and is by London based artist Joy Labinjo.
Drawing on Labinjo’s personal experiences of growing up in the UK with British-Nigerian heritage, 5 more minutes explores ideas of memory and belonging, and the significance of the hair salon as a centre of the community in both the artist’s personal experience as well as in wider Black British culture.
Joy Labinjo, ‘5 more minutes’. Photo: Angus Mill, 2021
The artwork depicts the interior of an imagined hair salon, an amalgamation of places Labinjo has visited over her life, a shared space where women and children of different generations gather together.
Throughout her life, Labinjo would travel to Brixton specifically to get her hair done and, for the artist, the hair salons evoke a strong sense of identity and emotional connection.
At its core, the commission is a celebration of Black female culture.
This work is the fifth in a series of commissions at Brixton station, following on from Helen Johnson, Denzil Forrester, Aliza Nisenbaum and Njideka Akunyili Crosby.
I really like it. Very colourful and striking.