A BASINGSTOKE illustrator is celebrating the launch of her exhibition on her hometown’s vibrant past.

Lydia Fee’s exhibition, Enliven: Reviving the past to put colour back in to Basingstoke, opened at the Willis Museum on Saturday, showing a clever juxtaposition of old and new versions of the town by converting modern-day photographs of Basingstoke into greyscale, and then drawing elements of historical images of the very same location back into the artwork in bright colours, highlighting positive moments from time gone by.

Interested in her birthplace’s heritage, Lydia’s inspiration for the exhibition came from black and white photographs of Basingstoke from the early to mid-1900s which depicted the spirit of the town.

For her, they highlighted the stark loss of excitement and vitality in the modern town in which she lives.

Lydia hopes her exhibition, which includes depictions of an elephant parade outside Basingstoke train station and dancing in London Street during Mardi Gras, will inspire residents to look behind the town’s concrete facade and view their home with a renewed sense of pride, while also encouraging a focus on community events, independent businesses and cultural moments that once made Basingstoke great.

She said: “Basingstoke is my hometown and I enjoyed growing up here in the 80s and 90s – but there are many great things about the town that have been lost, and not just since I was a child. When I started looking at photos from 50 and 60 years ago, I was surprised at how beautiful, interesting and lively the town once was.

“The exhibition is thought provoking because it offers the old and the new in one image to give a stark contrast and illustrate how much things have changed. I wanted to demonstrate just how wonderful our town used to be, in the hope that we can start to revive the past and put some colour back into Basingstoke. The exhibition symbolises a positive future and optimism for the town.”

Enliven: Reviving the past to put colour back in to Basingstoke, runs at the Willis Museum until September 10.

Entry is free and Lydia’s artwork will be on sale at the museum throughout the exhibition.

For more information visit hampshireculturaltrust.org.uk/event/enliven-%E2%80%93-exhibition-lydia-fee.