Abstract

Drawn to Life is a permanent, site-specific public artwork commissioned by Nexus for installation throughout the interior carriages of the new Tyne and Wear Metro fleet. Developed through practice-based illustration research, the project investigates themes of place, identity, and community across the North East of England. Using observational drawing as a method of visual enquiry, through extensive fieldwork across the Metro network, documenting passengers and everyday social interactions encountered throughout the region.
The resulting artwork combines a large body of hand-drawn sketches into a single, digitally composed visual narrative. Through the layering, scaling, and integration of multiple drawings, the work creates a dense and interconnected representation of contemporary regional life. It was commissioned by Nexus and installed by Stadler within the train interiors.
Funded through Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants programme, Drawn to Life represents a significant example of illustration-led public art embedded within public transport infrastructure.