Lucy Sparrow hand-stitches London fish and chip shop entirely out of felt

Artist Lucy Sparrow has opened the doors to the Bourdon Street Chippy, a traditional fish and chip shop in London's Mayfair area made out of 65,000 individually crafted felt pieces.

Everything from the art on the wall to the fish and chips themselves was constructed from fabric in the 46-square-metre shop, which is located in the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery in Mayfair.

Sparrow, who has previously made an LA supermarket and a Soho sex shop from felt, chose to create a fish and chip shop for her latest project as it's such a recognisable British institution.

"My work focuses on nostalgia and shared experience; the communal places that we all know and love, and the chippy is such a strong example of that," she told Dezeen.

Production of the 65,000 pieces took eight months. Sparrow also created handmade banquette seating for the interior, as well as a traditional counter made from fabric.

The fish used in the "cooked" meals are made from felt, as are the chips and mushy peas, all of which have been decorated with googly eyes.

Sparrow made 15 distinct chip shapes in five colours to create the impression they've been cooked differently, giving customers an authentic fish and chip shop experience.

She also created felted menus and shop signs for the interior, as well as condiments including ketchup, mayo, vinegar and sea salt crystals, and classic fish and chip food such as battered sausages and pies.

The back wall behind The Bourdon Street Chippy counter is made from blue-and-white felt tiles, while handmade signs advertise events at seaside towns such as Great Yarmouth.

The walls of the store are decorated, like in many traditional fish and chip shops, with pictures of food, and it also features a "wall of fame" with signed celebrity photos.

"For the Bourdon Street Wall of Fame I have hand-painted portraits of over 50 actors, artists, and celebrities," Sparrow said.

"Some are friends of the felt and have been to my shows before, and many more are my dream customers or personal heroes. I have a portrait of Tracey Emin, who is both an artistic inspiration and a customer, as she visited the Bourdon Street Chemist in 2021."

To the artist, her work is about creating familiar yet alien spaces.

"My process is all about creating felt realities – parallel universes where everything is at once incredibly familiar yet completely alien," Sparrow said.

"I work to make every installation as honest and authentic as possible, to transport the audience right to that familiar place; whether it's a chippy, bagel deli or sex shop."

The Bourdon Street Chippy's visitors will also be able to buy the felted foods to take home with them.

The photography is by Alun Callender.

The Bourdon Street Chippy is open to the public every Wednesday to Sunday from 1 August to 14 September at Lyndsey Ingram, 20 Bourdon Street, London W1K 3PJ. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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