Father and daughter transform Chelsea's King's Road for Remembrance Day
- LUCILA SAMPAOLI
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Article by Allegra Tassan-Din Visconti (Instagram: @allegraonrecord)
Vibrant red fragile petals, a thin yet resilient stem—the red poppy blooms even in the harshest conditions of war-torn fields. When all hope seems lost, it stands as a striking symbol of life and endurance amid suffering. This resilience now takes form on Chelsea’s King's Road, where artist Lucila Sampaoli, known as Prima Luce, and her father, Alberto Sampaoli, painted a 30-metre-long mural on the wall of Chelsea Fire Station. The mural commemorates Remembrance Day, embodying themes of life, love, and loss.
Lucila, a 27-year-old Argentinian Italian architect and artist who moved to London in 2020 before the pandemic, struggled to settle down and felt disconnected, feeling she had “lost” her “light inside”. To reconnect with herself, she chose the name "Prima Luce," meaning "first light to rise at dawn” in Italian, reflecting the original meaning of her name.
At the age of six, Lucila lost her mother to cancer and was left with only a Kenzo perfume bottle with a red poppy on it, the flower became her artistic signature and a constant reminder of her mother. Incorporating the poppy into her drawings, she often depicts it sprouting from chimneys or balconies.
“This is an homage to our mum,” she said. Creating this piece became a way to honour her mother’s memory and find closure. Through her art, she channels her grief into something meaningful. “The pain doesn’t really get smaller when you lose someone; it changes," she noted. "You learn to transform it into something meaningful, something that makes you appreciate what truly matters in life.”
This mural is Lucila’s first painting project with her father, a collaboration that celebrates their bond and his influence on her creativity. Growing up, she saw him as a “free soul” who gave her and her brother the love they missed after their mother’s passing. Today, she calls him her “hero,” grateful for the creativity and unwavering love he has passed down to her.
Alberto, a sculptor, added his own work to the mural, “The Cycle of Life.”
The Cycle of Life by Alberto Sampaoli
This artwork, displayed publicly for the first time, shows life’s four stages through the seasons: birth, youth, adulthood, and old age. The cycle ends with a fallen flower, symbolising death and the soul’s journey. The piece encourages viewers to reflect on the continuity of life, a message that is related to Remembrance Day.
For five days, the father-daughter duo transformed a blank wall into a vivid field of poppies, attracting locals and tourists alike. “People would stop by to chat, to take photos, and to ask about the meaning of the mural,” she recalled. “It’s been beautiful to see how much it resonates with them, whether they connect with Remembrance Day or their own personal stories of loss.”
Chelsea resident, Amirreza Tayebi, was particularly struck by their work. “It’s a masterpiece,” he said. “They’ve gone beyond what we usually see in the streets. Remembrance comes to mind when you look at it. Of our loved ones, their legacy will stay. We do have ancestors, and November is an important month to remember them.”
Lucila shared a concept that shapes her art and approach to life: “Life is not linear—the body has cycles and is going to perish. You will have many moments of joy, many moments of pain, and I think it’s something about accepting that. The worst pain you could ever feel is going to pass.” Her words emphasize acceptance, encouraging viewers to find strength in difficult times and peace through remembrance.
Remembrance Day, on November 11th, marks the end of the First World War and pays tribute to those who have given their lives in conflicts since then. Two-minutes of silence at 11 am remains a tradition to honour fallen British service members. The red poppy, a symbol of remembrance and hope, has become the emblem. The mural reflects this spirit, creating a space for shared memory that is warm rather than sad.
Lynette Dundas, engagement manager for the 300-year-old Chelsea estate Sloane Stanley, has worked there for over 20 years and highlighted the significance of this sponsorship. “It’s all about artists expressing themselves in a creative way. There’s no other agenda,” Dundas explained. “People love it—the locals, the tourists. We get a lot of positive feedback. People like to interact with the artist as they walk by; it’s something they look forward to, and it brings a lot of vibrancy to the community.”
For Lucila, the red poppies carry personal meaning but also resonate with the local community. “It’s like giving something back to the country in some way,” she stated. This mural will remain until the end of November providing a space for reflection and community connection, reminding us that from hardship, beauty can indeed bloom.
Location of the art mural: 264 King's Rd, London SW3 5UF (Up from October 2024 until January 2025)
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