All photography by Alun Callender
She’s turned corner shops and chemists into full felt dreamscapes – now the Sew Your Soul artist returns to London with her latest immersive exhibition, transforming a Mayfair gallery into a nostalgic, hand-stitched chippy.
The possibilities of felt are endless when you consider what Lucy Sparrow has transformed over the last decade. From New York bodegas and British corner shops to entire supermarkets and pharmacies, her world of soft sculpture has brought the everyday to life… one stitch at a time.
Now, the acclaimed British artist returns to London with The Bourdon Street Chippy, an interactive fish and chip shop made entirely of felt, opening tomorrow at the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery in Mayfair.
Step inside, and you’ll be met with banquette seating, gleaming signage, and a counter stacked high with everything you’d expect from your local chippy, but recreated in fabric. Over 65,000 hand-stitched pieces fill the space, with 15 different chip shapes in five shades (because why settle for one?). You can “order” your Friday night special and soak up the nostalgic charm of a space that’s as much about British comfort as it is about craft.
As ever, Sparrow’s felt world disarms with its charm, drawing us into familiar territory while gently asking us to look again. Her previous works have taken us into the aisles of Cornershop (2014), the fluorescent shelves of 8 Till Late (2017), and the tidy rows of The Bourdon Street Chemist (2021), where Sparrow last teamed up with Lyndsey Ingram Gallery. Each one transformed the everyday into something truly extraordinary.
We’ve followed Lucy’s journey here at Creative Boom for many years – from her early DIY projects to her full-scale installations across the globe. It’s been wonderful to see how she’s evolved from a solo artist stitching everything by hand into the creative force behind what is now, effectively, a full-scale felt factory. Based in a converted farm near Saffron Walden – lovingly referred to as the ‘Felt Cave’ – Lucy now leads a small team of expert felters who help cut, sew, and assemble her thousands of creations. Every piece still carries her personal touch, with Lucy hand-painting all logos, signs and finishing details. Much of the work is sold directly via her website, where her ever-growing fanbase eagerly snaps up her one-of-a-kind pieces.
“We are excited to welcome Lucy Sparrow back to Bourdon Street for another of her felt creations,” says gallerist Lyndsey Ingram. “She blurs the lines between performance and installation art, all in her distinctive felt language. Lucy is one of the most important and meaningful artists of her generation.”
But The Bourdon Street Chippy carries new weight, too. In June, Sparrow revealed she has lived with anorexia since her teens. Now in recovery, she’s reflected on how her relationship with food has always shaped her art. “The two are inextricably linked,” she says. “Over time, I came to understand that my practice had become a way to manage difficult emotions. Art is both my outlet and my motivation to stay well.”
What makes Lucy’s work shine isn’t just the humour or the ridiculous level of detail – it’s the heart behind it. There’s something quietly moving about it all. You don’t expect to feel emotional about felt chips, but somehow, you do. These aren’t just daft felt chips or novelty setups – they’re little love letters to the everyday, stitched with care and a need for connection. It’s art that reminds you of home. Of comfort. Of the small, familiar things that get us through.
The Bourdon Street Chippy is open to the public from tomorrow (1 August) until 14 September 2025, Wednesday to Sunday, plus Bank Holiday Monday (25 August). Lucy will be in the space daily, and the exhibition is free to visit. You won’t find any real salt and vinegar, but you’ll leave with something far more lasting and meaningful.
