A 30ft (9m) mural of Freddie Mercury has been unveiled at Wembley Park to mark what would have been the singer’s 80th birthday.
The artwork, called I’m Mr Mercury, is anamorphic, meaning the image only resolves when viewed from a single marked spot about 65ft away. From anywhere else it breaks up into colour and line.
It was created by the street artist Frank Styles, who hand-sprayed it as four separate works before composing them into a single image across all 58 of the site’s Spanish Steps.
Mercury, born on 5 September 1946, performed at Wembley repeatedly with Queen.
The band played 10 shows at the venue, previously known as the Empire Pool, between 1978 and 1984, and appeared at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in July 1985. Queen returned to the stadium for two sold-out concerts the following summer.
The mural also refers to Mercury’s life away from the stage. Koi carp reflect his love of Japan and the Japanese pond at his London home, while winged female figures echo his Virgo star sign, a motif he used on the Queen crest he designed himself.
Lyrics and quotations run up the steps towards the stadium.
Claudio Giambrone, who commissioned and curated the work for Wembley Park, said: “Freddie Mercury’s relationship with Wembley goes far beyond a single famous performance.
“We wanted to create something that gives fans a new place in Wembley where they can come together and remember him.”
Styles said: “As a trained graphic designer himself, Freddie was very aware and precise about the visual feel and so I have endeavoured to follow his ethos in the conscious creation of this mural.”
The steps link Wembley Stadium and the OVO Arena, formerly Wembley Arena. The mural is free to view at any time and will remain in place until December 2026.
By BBC
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