Erin Aniker, She walked everywhere

April – October 2024
SPACE Ilford

A tribute to aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, who was murdered in June 2022 as she walked home from an evening out in Ilford

A silent vigil for Zara will be held underneath the billboard on Sunday 30 June from 1pm. Find out more here.

Artist Erin Aniker talks about the inspiration behind SPACE’s seventh billboard commission:

She walked everywhere highlights the many women walking for change. People make a place, and this artwork celebrates the women of Redbridge and East London, some of whom I was lucky enough to grow up with and who make up the many communities of Redbridge today. 

I also wanted to use this as an opportunity to remember local Redbridge resident and aspiring lawyer for change, Zara Aleena, who was murdered in June 2022 as she walked home from an evening out in Ilford. Her family’s beautiful words really struck a chord with me. Her aunt, Farah Naz, said: ‘Zara was fierce: she didn’t just survive, she thrived. She walked everywhere. She put her party shoes in a bag and donned her trainers. She walked. Zara believed that a woman should be able to walk home.’ Along with many of the girls and women I grew up with in Ilford, we also walk everywhere; we put our party shoes in a bag, we don our trainers, and we walk home.

Zara Aleena should be alive today, continuing to walk everywhere and working as the lawyer she had trained to be, to create change. She is depicted here at the front of this line of women walking for change everywhere. This artwork remembers the women who walked for change before us, as well as the women walking for change today – because these are our lives, our bodies, our homes, our streets and our spaces.”

Zara’s family says: “As a family, we are deeply touched by this moving tribute to our beloved Zara, whose life was brutally taken in 2022. Zara was more than a daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, or friend; she was a beacon of light in our lives, embodying compassion, strength, and a commitment to justice. 

This tribute serves not only as a reminder of the profound loss we continue to endure but also as a testament to Zara’s enduring legacy. Zara’s passion for creating a safer, more equitable world for future generations is a cause we wholeheartedly support.

In honouring Zara’s memory, we pledge to continue to walk towards change. We must confront and challenge the harsh realities of violence towards women and girls, and advocate for meaningful action. Together, let us stand united in solidarity, amplifying Zara’s voice and striving to build a society where such senseless tragedies are no longer tolerated. We all need to be talking about what happened to OUR ZARA, we all need to be talking about the horror that she and other women have faced.

Thank you to all who have contributed to this powerful tribute. Your tribute not only honours Zara’s memory but also inspires hope for a better tomorrow.” 

Prints of the billboard are available to purchase from the artist with proceeds going to support End Violence Against Women. Purchase your print by clicking this link here.

Erin Aniker is an Illustrator whose bold and colourful people-driven illustrations draw inspiration from her upbringing and love of her home city of London, dual Turkish and British heritage, and the inclusive community she has grown up with in East London. 

She also draws inspiration from the colour palettes and patterns found in psychedelic and op-art of the 60s and 70s as well as the patterns in Islamic art and works of artists such as Bridget Riley (co-founder of SPACE) and Fahrelnissa Zeid and women and human rights groups such as See Red Women’s Workshop.