The reason eyes are dotted around Leeds' Albion Place - and when they came to life
If you’ve spent any time walking through Leeds city centre recently, you may have experienced a strange sensation: the feeling of being watched.
No, we’re not talking about CCTV on this occasion, but rather the glance up at the trees on Albion Place, whether you’re getting your morning coffee or making your way across the city.
A quick look toward the canopy reveals dozens of colourful, expressive eyes and mouths peering down from the treetops.
But what exactly is the story behind these wooden spectators, and when did they first appear?
These tree people officially came to life in May 2024 as part of a major city-wide art installation titled ‘The Trees Are Alive,’ created by Yorkshire-based artist and designer Joe Mason.
The project saw over 100 artistic features, from wide-eyed stares to cheeky grins, attached to 53 trees across Albion Place, City Square, and Queen Square.
The project was funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and designed to tap into pareidolia, the universal human instinct to find faces and patterns in everyday objects, such as seeing a shocked face when you’re about to plug something into the wall socket.
By personifying the urban greenery, Mason hoped to encourage busy shoppers and office workers to pause, look up, and view the city's trees as living, breathing neighbours rather than just background scenery.
Originally intended as a temporary summer feature to boost well-being and bring joy to the urban landscape, many of the features have remained in place long after the official launch.
They have since become a permanent ‘secret’ of the Leeds streets, acting as a whimsical reminder of the city's creative spirit.
While the Albion Place eyes are perhaps the most playful example of nature-meets-art in the city, they aren't the only ones.
For those who want to see more, a permanent sculpture trail exists in Roundhay Park, where artist Shane Green has transformed old beech trees into intricate carvings of wildlife and local figures.
Whether they strike you as charming or just a little bit eerie, the eyes of Albion Place serve as a permanent invitation to keep your eyes open to the nature hidden in our concrete jungle. So, the next time you feel a gaze from above, don’t be alarmed...
… it’s just the city’s oldest residents keeping an eye on things.