Have you looked up while walking through Croydon town centre recently? The fifth edition of the Creative Croydon exhibition is now on display, with more than 40 lamppost banners showcasing the work of three talented local artists.

If you’re new to Creative Croydon, this is the outdoor exhibition we’ve been running with Croydon BID and our alter ego, 31% Wool (our day job), since 2022. Each year it transforms Croydon’s streets into an open-air gallery, celebrating the creativity of people who live, work or study in the borough.

This year’s exhibition follows our biggest competition yet. We received a record-breaking 132 entries, all judged anonymously by a panel of previous Creative Croydon artists – Alec Saunders, Alex Mouette, Autumn Ng Fong Tiao, Erika Gomez, Iulia Taropa and Shirley Shephard – who had the unenviable task of selecting just three winners.

There was no set theme, other than creating vibrant artwork to brighten Croydon’s streets during the summer months. The judges selected three very different bodies of work, each celebrating the borough from a unique perspective – from colourful illustrations of familiar landmarks to striking night-time photography of Croydon’s iconic architecture.

Let’s hear more from this year’s winning artists, Alexander Adegbite, Montell Barrett-Brooks and Christopher Hope-Fitch.

Alexander Adegbite

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Alexander: I’m a freelance illustrator. I like my work to be colourful, chromatic and bold. Born and raised in Croydon, I studied Digital Art at The BRIT School from 2019–2021 and graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a degree in Comics and Concept Art in September 2025.

Croydonist: Tell us about your Creative Croydon pieces.

Alexander: These three digital paintings depict iconic places to me as somebody who has grown up in Croydon. They hold the graphic pop of my art style in the hope of representing the colourful tones of a Croydon summer, while celebrating the architecture and vibrant community of our town.

Montell Barrett-Brooks

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Montell: I’m an illustrator from Croydon creating bright, playful work inspired by everyday life, childhood memories and culturally rich places. Born, raised and working in the borough, I draw from its diversity and familiarity. Returning to art a year ago, I am continuing to shape my style through experimentation, blending imagination with reality.

Croydonist: Tell us about your Creative Croydon pieces.

Montell: My artworks celebrate local identity through three of my favourite iconic locations – Pollards Hill, Crystal Palace Park and Saffron Tower – each surrounded by vibrant natural elements such as flowers and greenery. By blending Croydon’s urban landmarks with nature, the series highlights how the borough’s architecture and landscapes beautifully complement one another.

Christopher Hope-Fitch

Croydonist: Tell us a bit about you and your art.

Christopher: I’ve lived and worked in Croydon for over 20 years and have long admired its often-unloved concrete architecture. Through my photography, I explore the relationship between light, colour and the built environment, revealing familiar places from fresh and unexpected perspectives.

Croydonist: Tell us about your Creative Croydon pieces.

Christopher: All three images are from my Brutalism in Colour series, where I photograph brutalist structures at night using ambient light only, before bringing out the colour in post-production to show them in a more vibrant way than we usually experience them. For this entry I’ve chosen the classic NLA Tower, along with the Flyover and Ryland House – two hopefully less obvious choices that demonstrate the creative potential of what we have here in Croydon.

Thank you to Alexander, Montell and Christopher for chatting with us. Keep an eye out for the Creative Croydon exhibition across the town centre this summer.

Read more about Creative Croydon 2022 here, Creative Croydon 2023 here, Creative Croydon 2024 here, and Creative Croydon 2025 here. 

In situ photography by Glenn Foster, courtesy of Croydon BID.

Posted by Julia.