Employee’s Abstract Art Illuminates The Shard for Christmas 2025
The Shard’s 2025 Christmas lights display will feature a unique community-driven design, conceived by Gustavo Zuluaga Villegas, a 65-year-old member of the building’s housekeeping team. Originally from Colombia, Gustavo, who has dedicated eight years to working at The Shard, is an avid amateur abstract expressionist painter. From Tuesday, November 25, 2025, his vibrant artwork will be transformed into an expansive light show, illuminating London’s tallest skyscraper daily until the New Year.
This initiative offers significant benefits, primarily celebrating the diverse talents within The Shard’s staff and fostering a sense of community. It provides an extraordinary platform for Gustavo’s artistic expression, elevating his personal work to a public spectacle. The display will showcase a series of dynamic sequences, including “striking rainbow flashes” that directly interpret the colorful brushwork characteristic of Gustavo’s original abstract paintings. Additionally, the light show will incorporate other festive elements, such as a reindeer motif, suggested by different members of The Shard’s team, further emphasizing the collaborative spirit. Gustavo expressed immense honor and personal significance in seeing his art displayed on a building he knows so intimately, marking a special chapter in his journey since arriving in London in 1996.
Gustavo’s artistic journey is deeply personal. Coming from a family of painters, he began working with pastels at 18 but later paused his artistic endeavors. His passion was powerfully reignited during the pandemic when he observed his daughter painting in oils. Since then, he has dedicated his free time to creating oil paintings that reflect his personal experiences, nature, and cherished childhood memories, particularly his profound love for horses. This display serves as a powerful testament to the inspiring power of creativity and personal dedication. The source text does not mention any specific risks associated with this unique Christmas lights display.
(Source: https://londonist.com/london/christmas-in-london/shard-christmas-lights-2025)
