Meet Shio- Favourite Station Kings Cross St Pancras
I’ve started a new branch of the Tube Mapper project exploring people’s favourite stations or stops on the London Underground Tube Map. I meet people at their favourite stations, taking photos and interviewing them to find out what makes it so special.
Meet Shio, an illustrator based in London. Her favourite station is King’s Cross St Pancras
Why is it their favourite station?
Kings Cross St Pancras is one of the city’s most iconic and historic transport hubs. The station first opened in 1863 as part of the Metropolitan Railway. Shio loves it for its unique blend of old and new architecture, which continues to inspire her work.
She created a series called People in London to capture everyday moments across the city. Rather than focusing on perfect portraits, she finds beauty in observing people as they move through their daily lives. King’s Cross St Pancras is the perfect place for this. With multiple train services and constant movement, there are always people to watch, sketch, and draw inspiration from.
Originally from Japan, Shio is thinking about eventually moving back home. Because of that, she wants to capture as much of London life as possible while she is here.
She has already created a prototype book showcasing her drawings. Seeing her digital work in a physical format has been especially meaningful, and she hopes to expand it into a larger published book in the future.
Shio also loves the graphic design of the London Underground. She finds the colour coding clear and the system easy to navigate, especially compared to the train system in Tokyo.
You can even see her work in London. She created a mural near Victoria Station, inspired by the surrounding area, including the station itself, Buckingham Palace, and the people nearby.
