Good News Network · 22 hours ago
For fifteen years, Londoners struggling with PTSD, depression, and addiction have gathered in parks and alleyways to transform broken tiles and glass shards into vibrant public mosaics-and in the process, have begun mending themselves. The Hackney Mosaic Project, founded by architect Tessa Hunkin, brings together healthcare workers, recovering addicts, patients, and neighbors to create sprawling Roman-inspired murals that now grace health centers, park benches, and sidewalks across East London. "It gives people a holiday from their head," Hunkin explains, describing how the meticulous, repetitive work demands concentration that quiets the internal noise of trauma while building confidence through visible progress. What began as a chance encounter with a mental health recovery group has blossomed into a profound practice where assembling thousands of fragments into resilient art becomes its own metaphor for healing.