Morph’s Epic Art Adventure

A collage of 2 statues of the Plasticine character Morph, standing with a smile on his face and his hands on his hips. In the left image, the statue of Morph is small, and stands on a bench next to a colourful sign reading Morph's Epic Art Adventure London. Behind the bench and beyond a thick metal railing is Tower Bridge in the distance. Meanwhile the right image shows a bigger statue of Morph, dressed in a yellow suit with black braille lettering all over it, while he also holds a long white cane and wears dark sunglasses.

During the past couple of weeks I’ve been exploring one of the new art trails that’s been installed in London for the summer, as it was something fun and different that caught my eye in the newsletters and social media pages I keep an eye on (so nobody’s asked or sponsored me to write about it).

It relates to Morph, a Plasticine character that I remember from my youth. He was created by Aardman Animations (best known for Wallace and Gromit & Shaun the Sheep these days), and he appeared with artist Tony Hart on some of his children’s TV programmes in the late 70s, before getting an animated show of his own.

I didn’t watch those shows much, as I wasn’t heavily into art as a kid. But I do remember Morph, as he was a popular character back then. And it seems he still is today, having continued to appear on TV over the years. He’s even got into the modern age with his own website, Youtube channel, Facebook page, Twitter feed and Instagram profile.

One of his most recent programmes is a Sky Kids show called The Epic Adventures Of Morph, which launched in 2020. And now, this summer, he’s embarking on an Epic Art Adventure in London. There are 79 sculptures to find across the city (well, 78 plus one coming soon at time of writing), all featuring Morph decorated and dressed in a myriad of creative ways by a variety of artists. 56 of them are huge 6-foot sculptures, while the rest are cute little Mini Morphs designed by school children.

It’s been organised by Aardman Animations & Wild In Art in association with Whizz-Kidz, a charity for young wheelchair users in the UK. As such, the trail is completely step-free, while also being designed to celebrate diversity and promote inclusion. The sculptures will be on display from 19 June to 20 August, and then most of them will be auctioned off to raise funds and awareness for the charity.

So I’ve been out and about recently to find all of the sculptures, which can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, as the designs are really cool. I spent a weekend finding most of them, then picked up a few others on a free weekday, followed by the final few on a visit to an art gallery. So here’s a complete list of all the sculptures and the photos I took, along with notes about how I found them, and I hope you enjoy looking through them all!

Contents

Map & App

You can locate the sculptures by using their 99p app, downloading a free PDF map, or picking up a printed map for £1. Purchase proceeds go to the Whizz-Kids charity. I used the app mainly, but also had the PDF map as well, which occasionally marked the locations a bit more accurately. And I did manage to find them all without any major trouble, I only got a little bit confused once or twice.

The PDF map has a page of notes to start with, including a nice section telling young people how to be a disability ally (listen to disabled people, respect their boundaries by letting them make their own choices, use respectful language, use your voice to actively support disability rights, be actively inclusive, challenge ableism, and understand that you’re a partner with disabled people rather than a heroic saviour). Plus there are tips for exploring the trail, details of events, and acknowledgments for the organisations involved, amongst other information.

The second page of the PDF is then a map showing all the approximate locations, along with a handy summary list of all the sculptures. The installations are numbered in a generally logical order that you can follow, although occasionally I did them in a slightly different sequence, as you’ll see from my list below.

The app, meanwhile, has an interactive map, which shows your location as well as those of the statues, plus a separate list of the statues as well. You can tap on any of the statue markers or names to find out more about them, and there are even play buttons to hear text to speech output, which is a nice touch. It’s also kept up to date, so it indicates if any statues have been taken away for repair, and any new ones that are coming soon.

Most importantly, you can track your progress in the app by entering the 4-digit codes from the information panels by the sculptures. There are separate codes for each of the big statues, while the miniature ones are organised into groups with 1 code per group. The app will then change the colour of the relevant markers on the map, and you can see lists of the statues you’ve collected or still need to collect. It says I’ve collected all 79 statues already, despite having only seen 78, because the missing one is coming soon as an addition to an existing group, so it’s already counted it.

On top of that, you also get rewards as your collection grows, including prize draws (a couple of which I’ve entered), discount offers, historical facts, advice for being a disabled ally, and tips for the trail. So you do feel quite incentivised to find them all.

Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing a map of central London with markers for each sculpture.
Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing the start of the list of sculptures. Next to the image of each statue is its name, the artist, and how many people have collected it. Above the list, a progress circle states that I've found 79 out of 79 sculptures.
Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing a few of the rewards you can unlock, including prize draws for a doughnut workshop and a £500 City Gift Card, an offer for children to travel by train for two pounds, and an offer from Uber Boats.

While I’m not in a position to verify how well the app works with screen readers, in terms of visual accessibility I can say that the text doesn’t respond to the dynamic text settings on my iPhone, so it remains quite small instead of being enlarged. And a lot of the text in the app is grey, so it doesn’t contrast as well against the background as I’d like, even when I invert the colours. The text-to-speech tracks are nice as an alternative, but I didn’t want to keep using those when I was out and about, because that would have drained my phone’s battery even more than using the app and camera already did. But they are handy to have available at home when looking through my photos. And the website has the same information of course, which is in good contrast and does enlarge with my browser settings, so that’s useful when at home too.

I have noticed a couple of other little glitches in the app though. There seems to be a phantom morph on the map, just to the left of Cannon Street station, which doesn’t reveal any information when you tap it, because it points to a statue that doesn’t exist. And once you tap it, you can’t get details up about other statues or exit the map unless you close and re-open the app.

Also, the pages for each statue have an option to upload your own photos of them. But it was impossible for me to do so, as there’s a dialog box of terms and conditions that comes up, and it isn’t scrollable. It’s just centred on the screen, so the top and bottom of the text is cut off, and there’s no way to press any buttons or even clear the box without restarting the app. A few people have uploaded photos though, so it must work on some devices.

Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing the top part of a page about a sculpture called The Power of Morphing Communication, with a preview image, the number of votes it's had, its location, the artist name, and a website link.
Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing a lower part of a page about a sculpture, with a button to play the text as audio, a reward that's been unlocked, and photos that have been submitted by users.
Screenshot from the app for the Morph art trail, showing a dialog box of terms and conditions that stretches off the top and bottom of the screen, with no buttons visible to accept the terms or close the box.

So the app could be a bit more visually accessible, but on the whole I found it very useful for finding and learning about the statues, tracking my progress and earning rewards, and it even tells you how many steps you’ve taken on the trail (26,163 it’s recorded for me). Plus it was easy to set up an account to use it to begin with. So it’s a handy companion to have when you’re Morph-hunting.

Sculptures

I started my trail by getting off the Tube at Tower Hill station, as there are 2 sculptures to be found if you turn left out of the exit and take the path towards the big junction where Minories and Tower Hill meet:

  • Morph the Yeoman Guard by Amanda Quellin – This is guarding the entrance to the alley for the Blue Orchid Hotel’s Tower Suites on the left. Note that the signage on the plinth is the wrong way round – for all the other statues, the description of the artwork is on the front side, with the sponsor information on the back, but in this case I discovered it was the opposite.
  • Canary Morph by Reilly Creative – Continue up to the main road, and this is easy to spot on the corner by the junction.
Morph the Yeoman Guard, a statue of Morph wearing a red Beefeater's outfit with gold detailing and an image of a crown, plus a red, white and blue cap on his head.
Canary Morph, a statue of Morph with his yellow body covered in wavy lines representing feathers. The face around his mouth and nose is a brown colour, as are his hands, while his lower legs and feet are orange.

I then crossed over Tower Bridge to start finding all the sculptures on the South Bank:

  • Riverside Spirit by Riverside Primary School – A Mini Morph in the window of Londent Oral Care, in a small square with a fountain just to the east of Tower Bridge.
The exterior of Londent Oral Care, with a small Morph statue visible in the central window.
Riverside Spirit, a silver statue of Morph featuring an image of the Earth on his chest with musical notes coming out of it, and rainbow-striped boots on his legs.

We can then start heading west. Pass under Tower Bridge and head along Queen’s Walk by the river to find these:

  • Blaze a Trail by Rob Biddulph – I like the bright rainbow colours on this one, although starting with red and orange for this head makes it look like he’s got sunburnt standing by the bridge!
  • Pearly King Morph by Sandra Russell
  • The Messenger Morph by Martin Dougan & John Dougan Nealon – This has lots of messages from disabled people about the things they wish the wider public knew about their lives and their accessibility needs, so is worthy of close inspection.
Blaze A Trail, a statue of Morph decorated in thick rainbow coloured stripes from head to toe.
Pearly King Morph, a statue of Morph wearing a black suit decorated all over with white pearl buttons, along with a red neck tie.
The back of the Pearly King Morph statue, with white lettering on his black suit that says King Morph, below an image of a crown with a red centre surrounded by a border of white pearl buttons.
Messenger Morph, a statue of the character covered in phrases written in lots of different colours, including I wish there was more acceptance, and Listen don't judge. A longer sentence says My main obstacle is not my disability, but society's presumptions, judgements and low expectations in relation to what I can achieve. And another says I wish people wouldn't take away my wheelchair when I sit on a normal chair in public, my chair is for me what your legs are for you.
The back of the Messenger Morph statue, with lots of coloured writing all over it. For example, I wish everything was accessible everywhere all of the time, I wish people would stare less, I wish people knew I have a sense of humour, I wish there were more accessible public toilets, I wish there was more room and better access for the disabled at gig venues, and my disability has made me stronger.

As you pass County Hall, you reach The Scoop, a large round area down some steps, used for events and performances. Take the path up and around the back of this to find the next two Morphs:

  • The Power of Morphing Communication by Clarke Reynolds (aka Blind Braille Artist) – Naturally this is my favourite one, as this bright yellow Morph, wearing sunglasses and holding a long cane, has black tactile braille lettering all over him.
  • Morph Over, There’s Room for Two! by Mik Richardson – Continue following the path around the top of The Scoop, and this is on a section near some steps that take you back down to Queen’s Walk (there is step-free access nearby though). You can sit on this bench for a photo with Morph, with Tower Bridge and/or the Tower Of London in the background depending on the angle. This was one of the few stragglers I found on a free weekday, as it was installed a bit later than the others nearby.
Power of Morphing Communication, a statue of Morph wearing a yellow suit and tie covered in black braille lettering, with printed letters to say what each one is. Morph is also wearing dark sunglasses and holding a long white cane.
The back of the Power of Morphing Communication statue, with black braille lettering for the entire alphabet covering the back of his yellow jacket, with printed black letters to translate.
Morph Over, There's Room For Two, a sculpture of Morph standing on a bench, with Tower Bridge in the background. The space next to Morph on the bench has the colourful logo for Morph's Big Art Adventure London on the back rest, and a Union Jack cushion painted on the seat. The bottom section of the bench has a silhouette of the London skyline going across it.
The back of the bench sculpture called Morph Over, There's Room For Two. The back of the bench depicts a painted map of London, with lots of iconic sights drawn on, including a black cab, a red double decker bus, a red postbox, a red phone box, a Tube train, the Royal Albert Hall, Buckingham Palace, St Paul's Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie Building, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, The Shard, Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern and the London Eye.
A selfie of Glen, wearing green-tinted sunglasses, on a bench next to a statue of Morph.

Now we go back along Queen’s Walk by the river, taking occasional small detours:

  • Morph into the Piñataverse by Anthony Rule – By HMS Belfast.
  • Morpheus by Jodie Silverman – Up a few steps or a slope to the left as you continue walking west.
  • Apart Together by Olivia Hylton – Head down More London Place to find this outside the EY Global building.
  • London Parklife by James Daw – At the end of Hays Galleria nearest the river.
  • On Guard by Hannah Jayne Lewin – At the opposite end of Hays Galleria.
  • Mr Create by Jenny Leonard – Back on the path by the river, near London Bridge City Pier.
Morph into the Pinataverse, a blue statue of Morph covered in colourful cartoon characters including a strawberry, a panda and a cat.
Morpheus, a statue of Morph with a grey beard and moustache, wearing a blue robe fastened over one shoulder that has yellow stars all over it.
Apart Together, a statue of Morph covered in large, randomly shaped splodges of paint in various colours, that roughly fit together like a jigsaw.
London Parklife, a statue of Morph covered in a painted scene of a green park with swans in a lake and various flowers.
On Guard, a statue of Morph dressed as a royal guard, with a black furry busby hat held in place by a gold chinstrap, a red jacket and black trousers.
Mr Create, a yellow statue of Morph covered in painting tools and marks, including a palette of colours on his chest with a brush and a bucket of water next to it, a brush painting a light blue strip across both shoulders, a bottle squirting dark blue paint from his chest up to his neck, a bottle squirting red paint on his upper left arm, coloured pencils on his lower left arm, coloured paintbrushes on his right arm, rows of coloured crayons around his lower legs with drawn lines above them, and splashes of paint on his feet.
The back of the Morph statue called Mr Create. Paintbrushes, crayons and pencils decorate the back of his yellow body in a variety of colours. A speech bubble on the back of his head says learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.

Now we need to take a walk away from the South Bank:

  • Morph’s Inspirational Dungarees by Lorna Leigh Harrington – Outside the Cottons Centre building. It’s in the alley called Middle Yard, next to Pret on Tooley Street, directly opposite Starbucks.
  • Cactus Morph by Traci Moss – Return to Tooley Street from the sculpture above, so you’re facing Starbucks. Turn left and walk down to the pedestrian crossing. Go straight across into London Bridge station, and after a few steps it’s in the centre of the concourse on your left.
  • Our School (Mini Morph) by Grange Primary School – Continue into London Bridge station, and turn right into the big tunnel where the shops and toilets are. A short distance in, this little statue can be seen in the doorway of Hamleys. I never knew they had a little branch in the station until I went looking for this.
Morph's Inspirational Dungarees, a statue of Morph wearing white dungarees with splashes of paint and colourful drawings all over them, including a few hearts and smiling faces, along with a paintbrush and pencil in the chest pocket.
Cactus Morph in London Bridge station. This is a green statue of Morph with white spikes drawn all over him, along with occasional flowers with yellow and orange petals and black centres.
A small branch of Hamleys toy store at London Bridge station, with a small statue of Morph visible in the doorway.
A small statue of Morph called Our School in the doorway of Hamleys toy store at London Bridge. Morph's yellow body is adorned with colourful flags from many different countries, around a picture of the Earth in the centre of his chest.

Now return to Tooley Street, turn left, cross over, and follow it when it splits off to the right, away from the main road, so you walk under London Bridge. Follow the road straight on, passing Southwark Cathedral on your left:

  • Forget-Me-Not by Pili Duncan – Outside the entrance gate of the cathedral.
  • Neville (Mini Morph) by Ivydale Primary School – Following the road around the cathedral towards Borough Market, this is in the window of Bread Ahead on the right.
  • Gingerbread Morph by Donna Newman – Continue walking into the busy Borough Market. You’ll need to turn left to head towards an exit on to Borough High Street, and just before you get out you’ll walk past him on your left, outside The Gated Garden.
  • Totally Morphomatic! by Glen Brooks – In front of the arches by Borough Yards, when you come towards them from Stoney Street. There were people watching some kind of entertainment here when I visited, so I had to squeeze by them to get to him.
  • Dance-off Morph by Glen Brooks & Jane Mota – This is a short distance to the left of the entrance archway to the Premier Inn, which is opposite the end of Clink Street (where the London Dungeon’s based)
The entrance gateway to Southwark Cathedral, with a blue statue of Morph in front of it.
Forget-Me-Not, a statue of Morph outside Southwark Cathedral. His dark blue body is covered with light blue flowers connected by green branches and leaves.
A small statue of Morph called Neville. His light blue body is designed to look like the ocean, with children's drawings of starfish, other marine wildlife and coral.
Gingerbread Morph, a statue of Morph in Borough Market that looks like he's made out of gingerbread. He has a swirling red and white pattern on his nose, a pink neck tie, 3 big buttons in blue, yellow and red down his chest, pairs of wavy white lines across his wrists and lower legs, and pink shoes.
Totally Morphomatic, a statue of Morph looking like a robot, made up of panels in varying shades of blue bolted together. There are buttons and dials on his chest, and he has large gold eyes, a gold nose, gold bands around his neck and wrists, and gold shoes.
Dance-off Morph, a statue of Morph dressed for a workout in a white t-shirt with black text that reads Morph says relax, over pink shorts, grey leggings, green ankle support straps, and grey trainers.
The back of the Dance-off Morph statue, showing that the back of his white t-shirt has black text that says Choose Morph.

Now we can head back up Park Street to the South Bank, to walk west along the river again:

  • The Bard by Susan Webber – On the upper walkway alongside the river, shortly after Shakespeare’s Globe.
The Bard, a statue of Morph wearing a red jacket and trousers with gold stripes and gold trim, a blue ruff around his neck, brown shoes with gold buckles, and on his face he has a very thin black beard and moustache.

The next 4 are lined up in a group in front of the garden area after the Tate Modern entrance:

4 colourful sculptures of Morph lined up in a row on the South Bank of the River Thames, with Blackfriars Bridge in the background.
Rear view of 4 colourful sculptures of Morph lined up in a row on the South Bank of the River Thames, looking towards a garden area with trees.
Mondrian Morph, a statue of Morph wearing a suit covered in a random combination of squares and rectangles in white, black, blue, red and yellow colours. Beneath the jacket is a red tie and a white shirt. On his feet he has red shoes with white laces and white toecaps. St Paul's Cathedral can be seen to the right in the background.
Morph Whizz Kidz Argonaut, a statue of Morph covered in a bright array of colourful patterns and designs, including a yellow badge saying I Am Great, some faces, lots of colourful dots and stripes, and other random imagery.
It’s Raining Morphs, Hallelujah, a statue of Morph whose light blue body is covered in images of lots of smart Morphs wearing black suits and black bowler hats, who look like they're floating in the sky as there are clouds in the background. The Morph statue is also wearing a black bowler hat, has a dark green circle covering his facial features, and his boots have the design of houses with windows, with more smart Morphs floating in front of them.
Mega Messy Morph, a statue of a red clay Morph holding a paintbrush, with a few splodges of paint on his body. On his lower chest is a pink blob with eyes, surrounded by a messy blue border. His right foot has an orange blob with eyes, and a messy yellow border. And his left leg has a yellow blob with blue eyes and no border.

Finally, there’s another one a short distance further west, on the left:

I Spy Morph, a light blue statue of Morph covered in a variety of images, including rainbows, colourful stars, Big Ben, Tube station roundels, trains, Morph holding paintbrushes and pencils, Morph dressed as a royal guard, trees, a red phone box, a red post box, and more.
The back of the I Spy Morph statue, with a further variety of designs covering his light blue body, including rainbows, colourful stars, Tower Bridge, 10 Downing Street, St Paul's Cathedral, Morph holding paintbrushes and pencils, a red double decker bus driving along a road, a red phone box, Tube station roundels, and Morph waving happily in a wheelchair.

Now we need to be on the other side of the river, so double-back and cross over the Millennium Bridge. Once on the other side, you’ll encounter the next four as you walk towards St Paul’s Cathedral:

Astromorph, a statue of Morph wearing a white astronaut suit with blue detailing, and a small red box with dials and buttons in the middle of his chest. St Paul's Cathedral stands tall at the end of the street in the background.
Make Your Mark, a statue of Morph covered from head to know in random splashes of colour, including pinks, blues, reds, yellows and greens, all blending into each other. St Paul's Cathedral stands tall at the end of the street in the background.
Roll With It, a statue of Morph painted in alternating yellow and pink colours. Text on his chest reads You gotta roll with it, above a small image of a wheelchair user riding on a curve over Morph's lower chest. Text on each of Morph's legs reads Wheels on fire and Go your own way.
The back of Roll With It, a statue of Morph painted in alternating yellow and pink colours. Text on his back reads Rolling, Rolling, Rolling on the river, above a small image of a wheelchair user riding on a curve over Morph's bottom. A small image of a wheelchair user also appears just above the heel of Morph's right leg.
Morph and Friends Explore London, a statue of Morph in light blue, covered in imagery of famous London sights, including the River Thames, the Bank of England, Buckingham Palace, the London Transport Museum, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern, Battersea Power Station, the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial War Museum, a red telephone box and a red double decker bus.
The back of Morph and Friends Explore London, a statue of Morph in light blue, covered in imagery of famous London sights, including the River Thames, Tower Bridge, City Hall, The Shard, the Shaftesbury Theatre, the Young Vic theatre, the Harold Pinter Theatre, the Orbit Tower in Olympic Park, Canary Wharf, the O2 Arena, the Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Naval College, Morph flying a kite next to the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, and Morph on a boat shaped like a swan on a small lake in a park.

Return to Roll With It, and carry on towards St Paul’s. Use the pedestrian crossing on your right, then on the other side keep walking forwards, as the next one is at the start of the pathway into Festival Gardens:

Morphlowers Please, a statue of Morph whose dark purple body is covered in bright colourful flowers and green leaves.

Now turn back and head around the front of St Paul’s Cathedral. Go right past the Queen Anne statue, and stay on the right side of the bollards. The next one’s on the right as you approach the M&S Simply Food store:

Tartan Trailblazer, a statue of Morph outside St Paul's Cathedral, dressed in a red and black tartan suit, with a few thin white and yellow lines. He also has bright red hair, blue glasses, and black boots with two silver buckles around the foot and another buckle around the ankle.

Then turn and walk down Ludgate Hill (i.e. with St Paul’s behind you), crossing over so you walk down the left hand side. Carry on until you reach 55 Ludgate, and look in the window facing into the side street (Pageantmaster Court), to see 3 Mini Morphs:

3 colourful mini Morph statues in the window of 55 Ludgate in London.
Growing Together in Learning and in Faith, a mini statue of Morph, whose light blue body features a drawing of children playing on grass outside a school building that has 2 hearts as the entrance doors.
Look For The Light, a mini statue of Morph, whose black body has an explosion of yellow and orange light on his chest, on top of which is a large heart framing an image of a tree and flowers on a grassy hill. There is also a butterfly perched on Morph's nose.
Bringing great energy and spirit to make things happen, a mini statue of Morph, whose yellow body has a wavy rainbow across his lower chest, above which is an upside down triangle with the letters RS across it. A console game controller can also be seen on his right arm, and there's a red heart on his nose.

Now return to St Paul’s Cathedral, and walk past the tartan Morph on the left side. Continue and turn left into Paternoster Square, where you’ll find a group of three in the corner by 1 Paternoster Square.

3 colourful statues of Morph outside 1 Paternoster Square.
London Collage, a statue of Morph covered in a random variety of designs in bold colours, including the word London diagonally across his chest in big red letters on a blue background, a yellow line bolt with a thick red edge, a yellow circle with a black smiling face on his left shoulder against a pink background, big colourful spots on his black right arm, colourful zig zagging and wavy lines on his black left arm, the word London in white capitals on a black background repeating around his right leg, a red postbox on his left leg, blue hearts on the red shoe on his right foot, lots of colourful stars on the black shoe on his left foot, and various colours running down his face as if different paints have been poured over his head.
Peace, Love and Morph, a statue of Morph whose light blue body is covered in colourful rainbows, mushrooms, flowers, trees and clouds.
Midas Morph, a large gold statue of Morph with a smile on his face and his hands on his hips.

This was where I decided to finish my first day.

I then went to Cannon Street to start my search for the next bunch:

  • Apples and Pears by Helen L Smith – On Cannon Street outside the railway station. On the app, there’s another marker on the map just to the west of this, but it seems to be a glitch pointing to a non-existent statue, as it doesn’t respond if you tap it, and stops the other markers from reacting unless you close and reopen the app.
  • Freedom by Ruth Green – In the One New Change Shopping Centre area. The app and website says it’s on the Roof Terrace, but that’s confusing because it’s on the pavement on the ground. It’s in an alley that includes the shops Cos, Sweaty Betty and Strip as you face towards St Paul’s Cathedral.
  • Tiger Morph by Sandra Russell – In the alley by Metro Bank that leads to Milk Street.
Apples and Pears, a white statue of Morph covered in drawings of the fruits in the title, all filled with a myriad of different colours and patterns. The entrance to Cannon Street station is to the right of the statue, next to a branch of M&S Simply Food in the background.
Freedom, a blue statue of Morph on which is a colourful painting of a lady pushing a woman in a wheelchair through a park full of colourful flowers, trees and greenery, with a river flowing past behind them. Behind the statue, St Paul's Cathedral stands tall in the background.
The back of the Freedom statue on the Morph Art Trail, showing a train passing an area of colourful flowers and greenery, while in the background is a silhouette of London sights forming a skyline, including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Nelson's Column and Tower Bridge.
Tiger Morph, a statue of Morph wearing a tiger onesie, with black stripes, a white chest and white feet. The onesie has a long zip down the middle of it.
The back of the Tiger Morph statue, which shows the back of Morph's orange tiger onesie with black stripes. An upside down tiger's head with large holes for the eyes hangs down from Morph's neck, as if it's a hood he can pull over his head to show the face of a tiger.

Walk down the alley behind Tiger Morph, and one of the windows towards the rear of Metro Bank on the left has 3 Mini Morphs:

3 colourful mini Morph statues in the window of Metro Bank in Cheapside.
Morley the Morph - Ready to Board, a statue of Morph wearing a light blue onesie with a zip down the middle, covered in lots of colourful child's drawings of small owls.
Bright Ideas, a yellow statue of Morph covered in children's drawings of bright lightbulbs. Even his hands and eyes are designed to look like bulbs, and a metallic design around his neck suggests his whole head is a lightbulb.
Near and Far, a dark blue statue of Morph covered in children's drawings of stars and colourful planets.

Go back to Cheapside and walk a bit further down:

  • Good Vibes by Lucy Hebden – In Bow Churchyard, on the south of Cheapside by the church.
Good Vibes, a statue of Morph covered in a colourful psychedelic mixture of swirling rainbows, flowers and other patterns.
The back of Good Vibes, a statue of Morph covered in a colourful psychedelic mixture of swirling rainbows, flowers and other patterns.

There are then 2 in the Guildhall, either side of the alley off Gresham Street as you reach the edge of Guildhall Yard.

Maximus Morpheus, a statue of Morph wearing a Roman suit of armour and helmet, with gold studded straps hanging down in front of his groin, and black sandals on his feet.
Chocks Away, a statue of Morph with a moustache and wearing an old-fashioned pilot's outfit, including a brown jacket, white scarf, and cream trousers.

There are then 5 Mini-Morphs inside the Guildhall Art Gallery, specifically in the Victorian gallery, where they’re by the railing that overlooks the gigantic oil painting called The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar by John Singleton Copley. You can’t miss the statues or the painting, believe me!

I saw 4 of these Mini Morphs this past weekend when I paid a visit to the gallery to have a look around in general, having never been there before. It’s actually a really cool place, and I’ll talk about it at a later date, in my July Favourites post. But, as I say, these are the Mini Morphs you’ll find in there:

July 14 Update: The last one on that list, which is a Morph figure in a wheelchair, hadn’t yet been installed when I visited, but has since been added. I’m not going to bother returning to the gallery just to get a photo of it though. The app already says I’ve collected that group, as all 5 statues share the same code, and I can see it on the app and website, which is good enough for me. You can also see it in a tweet showcasing its creation and its position amongst the other statues. So consider it an incentive to go to the gallery for a look yourself!

4 colourful Mini Morph statues in Guildhall Art Gallery, by a railing over which you can look at huge painting about a battle at Gibraltar.
Growing Together, a mini statue of Morph, whose white body is covered in hundreds of colourful leaves.
Many Hands Make Valence, a mini statue of Morph, whose white body is covered in messy colourful prints of children's hands and feet.
Creativity Rocks, a mini statue of Morph, with rainbow coloured stripes of paint running down over his head and shoulders, with a bit more on his right foot, while the rest of his body is a navy colour with images like cameras, musical notes and plants drawn on in white.
Mr Tayo Shnubbub - The Wellbeing Hero, a mini statue of Morph holding a bunch of colourful balloons, and wearing an outfit covered in lots of colourful smiling faces and hearts drawn by school children.
The back of Mr Tayo Shnubbub - The Wellbeing Hero, a mini statue of Morph holding a bunch of colourful balloons. The cape on his back is covered with lots of colourful messages drawn by school children, such as I am fantastic, I am enough, kindness is not a sign of weakness, will be ok, love yourself, you are a bright star, I am kind, there is beauty in everything, I am strong, try but try until it hurts, and I'm loved.

Next, go out of Guildhall Yard and head to the plaza around the back of it, to find the next two:

Diverse-city, a statue of Morph whose silver body is covered with a myriad of blue drawings of flowers and swirling patterns.
Morph, It’s The Wrong Trousers, a statue of Morph wearing a sleeveless string vest and the black robotic trousers from Wallace & Gromit, with a small control panel of buttons and levers where the belt buckle would be.

Then we move on to:

  • Cyborg Morph by Ade Adepitan (Illustrated by Carl Pearce and painted by Mik Richardson) – On Royal Exchange Avenue, by the statue of American banker George Peabody. Ade Adepitan is a well-known disabled TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player.
Cyborg Morph, a statue of Morph whose mouth is visible through a navy suit that covers the rest of his head and body, and is decorated with light blue and dark pink lines and patterns, making him look a bit like a robotic version of himself.

There are then 3 Mini Morphs in the window of 22 Bishopsgate:

3 colourful mini statues of Morph in the window of 22 Bishopsgate.
Morpheby, a mini statue of Morph whose white body is covered from head to toe in a random mess of painted lines, as if school children have been randomly painting to try and cover every inch. The only deliberate drawing is a small colourful box in the centre of his chest, made up of blocks of various colours.
Grit, a mini statue of Morph, whose head is covered in horizontal rainbow stripes, while his body is covered in a variety of blocks and patterns in different colours. On top of this in the centre of his chest is a black fist within a black circle. Words are also written on his arms and legs - growth, respect, integrity and teamwork, the initials of which spell grit.
Happiness is an Inside Job, a miniature statue of Morph wearing a jumper with lots of different colourful patterns on it, punctuated by a small number of yellow faces, including ones that are smiling, blowing a kiss or have dollar signs for eyes. Morph is also wearing blue trousers with white polka dots, and red trainers with blue laces and blue and white soles.

Next there are 2 statues in the paved area on the corner of Leadenhall Street and St Mary Axe, just south of the Gherkin. One is right on the corner, the other is set further back:

Pride Morph, a statue of Morph with his body covered in colourful flowers and green leaves. Large red lettering against a white background on his chest reads Power to the People.
The back of Pride Morph, a statue of Morph with his body covered in colourful flowers and green leaves. Large red lettering against a white background on his back says The P stands for Pay it no mind.
The London Man, a statue of Morph with a scene of London painted on his body, where a helicopter is flying over the Gherkin and other tall buildings. Above that, Morph's head shows stars twinkling in space above the skyline below.
The back of The London Man, a statue of Morph with a scene of the Walkie Talkie Tower alongside other tall buildings. The back of his head shows stars shining in space above the skyline below.

Then we move on to:

  • Wheelie by Lena Kibbler – In an alley east of Lime Street. I found this as one of the remaining few on a separate day, as it was away for repair when I was first in the area.
  • Rock Star! by Tom Fletcher from McFly (Painted by Adam Pekr) – In a side street of Leadenhall Market, next to Barbour.
  • Gentlemorph by Tabita Harvey – In London Street.
  • Polymorphism by Sue Guthrie – Also in London Street.
Wheelie, a statue of Morph whose dark blue body has a rainbow snaking from his right shoulder down to his left foot, while the rest of the space is covered by a variety of colourful circular patterns and white polka dots.
Rock Star, a statue of Morph dressed as a rock musician, with black star-shaped sunglasses, a small gold necklace shaped like a lightning bolt, a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt, blue jeans, black trainers with white toecaps, and a red guitar held diagonally across his body.
Gentle-morph, a statue of Morph dressed in a smart grey suit, over a white shirt with a red tie, and brown shoes.
Polymorphism, a statue of Morph designed to look a bit like a parrot, with a red feathered chest, coloured feathers on each arm that transition through the colours of the rainbow through to blue clawed fingers, blue feet with 3 big toe claws, a turquoise nose and a red patch on the top of his head.

There are then 2 Mini Morphs in 80 Fenchurch Street, one in each window on each side of the building, near the big number 80 on the wall:

Messy Morph, a mini statue of Morph whose yellow body is covered in messy streaks of black and red paint, as is the yellow walking frame he's holding on to.
Meta-Morph-Osis, a statue of Morph whose body is made up of colourful jigsaw pieces locked together. He also has a stethoscope around his neck, a pizza slice on his left shoulder, and a ring doughnut on his left hand.

The next statue can then be found at the entrance to Aldgate Square on Aldgate High Street.

Whizz Bang, a statue of Morph whose dark navy body is covered from head to toe in hundreds of colourful explosive stars, hearts and other shapes.

Next up are 3 Mini Morphs at the Metro Bank on Bishopsgate:

3 colourful Mini Morphs in the window of Metro Bank in Bishopsgate.
Captain Compass, a mini statue of a light blue Morph, wearing a yellow top and trousers, with a red collar on the top. On the chest is a red compass with gold coloured points for the 4 primary directions, each assigned the appropriate letter N, E, S and W. Smaller versions of the compass design decorate the arms and legs of the outfit.
Hands-On & Hands-Up, a mini statue of Morph entirely covered in colourful hand prints, circles and other random patterns.
This Is Us, a mini statue of Morph, who is covered in all sorts of random colourful shapes and patterns, including a red tie around his neck, musical notes, hearts, the globe and flowers.

Then there are two statues a short distance past the entrance of Liverpool Street Station. The map seems to suggest one is in the station, but they’re both close to each other further up the street.

Morph Target, a statue of Morph covered in a grid of light green lines on his dark green body.
Looking After The Ocean, a statue of Morph dressed in a navy-coloured diver's wetsuit, with a breathing tube and dials on it, a watch on his wrist, and a large pair of glass goggles over his eyes.

Nearly there. The final big bunch are over in Spitalfields Market:

  • Stay Frosty by Jasön Curtis – Near Goldsmiths on the south side.
  • Swashbuckler by Peter Lord (Painted by Rachel Bennett) – Next to The Grocer by Lamb Street on the north side. Peter Lord is co-founder of Aardman Animations, the producers of Morph.
  • Mmmmmmmmmorph! by Marnie Maurri – In between the above two, outside Leon. If re-entering the market by The Grocer, it’s a little way in on the right.
  • The Adventures of Morph (Mini Morph) by Whybridge Junior School – This is in The Real Greek. You can get there by crossing the concourse from Leon, but you won’t see the statue. Instead, turn left and walk around to the back of the restaurant, and you’ll find him on the floor looking out at you from the back window.
Stay Frosty, a statue of Morph covered in varying shades of blue and white.
Swashbuckler, a statue of Morph dressed as a pirate, including a sleeveless red jacket with ornate gold detailing over a white shirt, a black belt around his waist under the jacket, and a thick brown belt stretched diagonally from one shoulder down across his chest. He's also wearing yellow shorts, grey and white striped socks and black boots, and has a black beard and moustache.
Close-up of the treasure map being held by Morph's hand around the back of the Swashbuckler statue, with places named Cave Cove, Cove Cave, Cape Crusader, Skull Island, Point Less, Chas Island and Cute Kitten Island. On the bigger of the two islands on the map, a dotted line leads to an X beside a chest, which is called Morph's Chest.
Mmmmmmmm-morph, a statue of Morph decorated like an ice cream sundae, including green mint chocolate chip, pink and white raspberry ripple, red strawberries, chocolate, blueberries and sprinkles, and a cherry in his hand.
The Adventures of Morph, a mini statue of Morph who has a red head, an orange upper chest and shoulders, yellow arms, and a green lower chest and legs. On top of these colours are white spots like snow, and other little details including a black crescent moon, silhouettes of small birds flying, and a tree with small red apples hanging from it.

And last, but by no means least, there’s one more statue far away from all the others, over at Paddington Station. So I hopped on the Tube to track this down on the same day as the other couple of loose ends I was collecting:

  • Fish Ahoy! by Ali Elly – This is by the windows on the outer concourse, where you find the escalators leading down to the Elizabeth line.
Fish Ahoy, a statue of Morph dressed as a fisherman, wearing a blue and white striped t-shirt, over which is a yellow outfit that straps over his shoulders, effectively combining an apron with trousers, with fish poking out of the central chest pocket. He also has a curly white beard and moustache, and small fish tattooed on his neck.
The back of Fish Ahoy, a statue of Morph dressed as a fisherman, showing the straps at the back of his yellow overalls over his blue and white striped t-shirt, and a fish poking out of his back pocket. He also has a red cap on his head, with curly white and grey hair sticking out from the bottom of it.

Conclusion

And that’s the trail complete! It was fun to explore, and I hope you enjoyed looking through all of those photos, especially if you’re not able to do the trail in person. Let me know if you have any particular favourites among that lot too!

Unknown's avatar

Author: Glen

Love London, love a laugh, love life. Visually impaired blogger, culture vulture & accessibility advocate, with aniridia & nystagmus, posting about my experiences & adventures.