A four-metre statue designed by street artist Stik will be unveiled in Hoxton Square later in the year after being granted planning permission by Hackney Council.

The artwork depicting two people holding hands is based on the artist’s image for the Hackney Pride flag, which represented the borough at the Pride in London parade in 2016.

Stik, who has lived in Hackney since 2000 and worked out of three Hoxton studios, says the image symbolises the love expressed between two people, regardless of gender, sexuality, religion or ethnicity. He will fund the creation and installation of the sculpture, which is being made with Sculpture Factory nearby in Kingsland Road.

The council’s parks chief, Cllr Feryal Demirci, said: “The fact that the scale of the statue allows the viewer to hold hands with it, is a great metaphor for Hackney’s openness, and the borough as a welcoming place for all.”