Martin Richman t-shirts Pic: CIG

An Olympic Park sculptor has designed a special T-shirt range to raise money for Hackney’s creative community.

Martin Richman, based in Hackney Wick, is running the project alongside the Hackney Wick and Fish Island Cultural Interest Group (CIG), a local organisation that supports local artists.

Richman, who has created permanent art installations in both Hackney Central and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said: “The imagery for the T-shirts is derived from a combination of an interest in spirals within my practice and the idea of developing a visual metaphor for the geography and vitality of Hackney Wick and Fish Island.”

The spiral design on the T-shirts, he explained, represents “two sources of energy interacting with one another.”

“I hope it’s not too fanciful of me to think of Hackney Wick and Fish Island as centres of vitality generated by the variety of spaces available and the creative people who inhabit them.”

The CIG are particularly keen to preserve Hackney’s creative heritage as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park undergoes development.

Richman said: “We are aware of the need for change and do not wish or expect to see Hackney Wick and Fish Island set in romantic aspic.”

He added: “It is important that qualities of the area are retained in the face of commercial interest.”

The T-shirt project is the first CIG joint venture to demonstrate mutual commercial benefit to local business and an artist.

There are only 200 T-shirts available, priced at £25. They can be purchased here.