It was on a lovely sunny morning that HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, attended the ceremony marking the completion of Greenwich Marketplace restoration project which started in September 2014. Greenwich has long been home to a Royal Charter Market which was originally assigned to the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital on the 19th December 1700 for 1,000 years. The Market has been in its current location since the 19th century.
Excited locals greeted the Duke of York arriving by Dunford Street, some came out in their Sunday best outfits and union jack regalia for the occasion.
HRH Prince Andrew went round the new Marketplace and had a good look at the new developments. The restoration project included the creation of a new public space with efficient storage for the Market traders plus three new retails units on Dunford Street. A new glass roof with some new lighting was built, the historic cobblestone flooring was also levelled and relayed, while the modern brick walkways was replaced with granite paving to make the area more tidy and appealing to visitors.
Excitement went up a notch, when The Duke of York walked among stalls and talked with the traders who presented him details of their activities and items they sold. Greenwich Market is one of the best source for hand crafted items, unique gifts, fashion designs, and rare antiques and collectables. The Market is also an exciting place to visit to sample different cuisines that meets all taste buds.
Visitors were mesmerized by being up close to a royal, but they quickly regained composure and began to photograph the Duke of York with enthusiasm. The event took place in a friendly atmosphere, the Duke of York made himself accessible to the public. One of the traders told me that this celebration was very motivating and brought them recognition.
Live Painting Event: A portrayal of HRH Duke of York in African Attire
At the same time outside JonaQuestArt Gallery, passersby were standing there captivated by Dayo Sotimehin’s live-painting show. He painted an expressionistic portrait of HRH Prince Andrew dressed in traditional Nigerian outfit.
This portrait is a superposition of contrasts between the Prince’s face, his outfits and the background colours. The first thing you would notice are the green eyes that contrast against the blue, white and red colours dominating the paint. This contrast is accentuated by his serene and confident facial expression that all world leaders display.
The Prince’s traditional neutral white outfit also is contrasted by the rich ornamentation made of red wavy patterns and a long coral beads necklace and the blue hat.
Here is the final piece of royal portrait which is up for grabs in the JonaQuestArt Gallery in Greenwich. It be hanging on your wall:) 
Here is a short video clip of the day and Dayo in action.
Visit JonaQuestArt an International Art Gallery celebrating colour and culture, with a focus on Contemporary African Art.
That’s it for now from Olivia Defours. x
This blog post was written by Olivia Defours, who is based in London for two years from France. She is interested by all kind of arts and an avid photographer. You can see some of her amazing shots on Instagram @Escapade_photo.
All images are subject to copyright.
