A walk to discover east London's architecture and streetscapes with artist and architect Kuda Mushangi. A chance to learn more about Mushangi’s painting practice that is deeply rooted in narrative, storytelling and allegory, adding new dimensions to the fabric of the city’s urban landscapes.

Kicking things off at the Nunnery Gallery, East London Art Prize shortlisted artist Kuda Mushangi will give us a brief introduction to the current Bow Open Show 2025 in a former 19th-century convent building and share his practice as an artist and architect. We will not only delve into architectural principles focusing on community and repurposing, but also some art principles that emphasise the priority of architecture and interiors, followed by the people who inhabit these spaces.

Kuda will be our guide, telling the hidden architectural stories at Bow Arts Trust, Bromley by Bow Centre and Roman Road Market. Through walking on the streets of the East End, we will also learn about how a design process can empower and engage a community in East London.

Route details

Starting at the Nunnery Gallery (181 Bow Rd, Bow, London E3 2SJ), we will explore the critical themes of architecture: re-using and repurposing at the headquarters and office space of Bow Arts Trust (183 Bow Rd, Bow, London E3 2SJ), a project by Delvendahl Martin Architects as part of a wider development strategy for Bow Arts to reclaim underused spaces for public and artistic use.

We will then make our way to the Bromley by Bow Centre (St Leonard's St, London E3 3BS), an integrated health and community hub and its surrounding spaces that accompany the original church and a bell tower, highlighting the architect’s responsibility on the wider community and society. The site also showcases a tactile design approach which Kuda also implements and considers throughout his paintings.

Our next stop will be the Bryant & May Match Factory, where we will hear about the significance of the factory in women’s working rights and how the reuse of this warehouse exemplifies a common theme of repurposing within architecture.

The following stop on the tour will be the award-winning Donnybrook Quarter on Parnell Road by Peter Barber Architects, where Kuda will explain why this is an example of high-quality housing in East London that has been seamlessly integrated into the existing area.

Our penultimate stop will be the Roman Road Market (536 Roman Rd, Bow, London E3 5ES), which demonstrates how the spaces between buildings are equally important for fostering community and societal connections.

We will finish up at the Nunnery Café where gives you the chance to enjoy a coffee or tea and a selection of locally-made cakes, pastries, toasties, soups and other delicious treats after your walk. The Nunnery Gallery will also stay open for you to take your time to look at the incredible artworks in the Bow Open Show 2025.

This walk is open to anyone to attend but will particularly resonate with artists who have a profound interest in architecture. No architectural background is required – come along and find out!

In this tour, you will:

• Learn about Kuda Mushangi’s practice as an artist straddling both disciplines: painting and architecture

• Be inspired by a fresh perspective on architecture and its relationship with various artistic practices

• Explore ways to design a space that can empower and engage a community through architectural principles

• Connect with other artists and practitioners with similar areas of interest

More about Kuda Mushangi

Mushangi, born in 1995, is an artist and architect based in London. He studied architecture at the Liverpool School of Architecture and earned his Master of Architecture degree in 2020. Mushangi gained recognition as a young emerging artist through an open-call competition held by Tate Modern and Tate Collective in 2020, with his work featured on a billboard in Brixton, London. In 2021, he was awarded the Holy Art Gallery Prize and was featured in Artist Talk Magazine. In 2022, he was a finalist for The Ingram Prize, one of the UK’s leading contemporary art awards. In 2024, Mushangi’s artwork was exhibited at the London Design Festival. He was shortlisted for the East London Art Prize in 2025 and is eager to continue developing and sharing his work within the wider art community.

About Bow Skills

Bow Arts seeks to support creative professionals at all stages of their careers. In 2015 Bow Arts launched Bow Skills in response to an artist survey which showed over 90% of practicing artists find it useful to receive further support outside formal education. Bow Skills is a dynamic and relevant programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is informed by an artist steering group and open to all creative practitioners across London. The programme of talks, panel discussions, new skills labs and peer crits is open to all, with concession rates available to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists and key workers.