To mark the one-year anniversary of the unveiling of a huge mural which transformed its West entrance, Southside Shopping Centre has once again teamed up with Wandsworth-based artist Ruki Chuki to bring the mural’s beloved characters to life through a new community trail and a series of free art workshops.   

Since its installation at the centre in 2024, the mural has transformed the brickwork into a vibrant celebration of the Wandsworth community, reflecting its diversity, creativity, and spirit.

Building on this success, Southside has unveiled a community trail of six life-sized sculptural totems, each representing a different facet of the Wandsworth community, followed by a weekend of free art workshops where the public can meet the artist.

The totems act as a physical and thematic extension of the mural, turning its characters into interactive storytelling icons that celebrate diversity, creativity, love and connection. With bold colours and playful designs, the figures reflect the richness of the Wandsworth community, highlighting its diverse cultures and the individuals behind it.

Located throughout the central mall, the community trail invites visitors to pause, explore, and discover the stories behind each figure. Created in Ruki Chuki’s distinctive style, each totem includes a short narrative revealing the inspiration behind the character and the community values it represents.

To complement the trail, Ruki Chuki will also be hosting a series of free community art workshops on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th November. Open to all ages, the one-hour sessions will give participants an opportunity to design their own characters in Ruki’s signature style and express their own personal identity and connection to Wandsworth. 

Participation for the workshops is free, with advance sign-up available via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-art-workshops-with-ruki-chuki-tickets-1897154743909.. The sessions will run at 11am, 12pm and 1pm each day and are designed to be inclusive and engaging for all ages, with materials and activities tailored to suit each participant.

Shannon Reed, Centre Director at Southside Shopping Centre, said: “The mural truly reflects the spirit of our community and over the past year, it has become a symbol of Wandsworth’s warmth, creativity and diversity.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Ruki Chuki again to extend that story inside the centre, creating an interactive experience where visitors can engage with the characters and celebrate the creativity that makes Wandsworth such a special place to live, work, and visit.

“Ruki’s free workshops are a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to design their own character and share their personal story with the local community.  We encourage everyone to sign up, get involved, and leave feeling inspired, welcomed, and part of the ongoing story of Wandsworth.”

Artist Ruki Chuki added: “The characters in the mural were inspired by real people and stories from Wandsworth, each one reflecting the unique spirit, diversity, and creativity of the community.

“I’m very happy to see these characters even closer to the people of Wandsworth. I also believe their stories can inspire us — reminding everyone that every story is welcome here.

“These workshops are an amazing opportunity for the people of Wandsworth to connect even more. It gives younger generations the chance to create their own characters and stories, to add their voices, and to celebrate the shared creativity and vibrant community that make this place so special.”

For more information about the community trail and to book onto Ruki Chuki’s workshops, please visit https://southsidewandsworth.com/