Tag: murals

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Antarctic Mountaineering mural

A painting of a person in a red jacket scaling an icey blue mountain looking up towards the summit.

Walking around the Riverside Market I came around a corner and looked up to see this view. It is one of two murals celebrating Christchurch’s unique status as a gateway city to the Antarctic. It was produced by Oi You and designed and painted by Dcypher/XL Street Murals with help from Jacobyikes. It’s not that obvious in this photograph but it is painted across three walls which gives more of a 3D effect to the artwork. Personally as a non climber with claustrophobia this looks terrifying. Christchurch isn’t just a city with amazing murals like this and I strongly recommend a visit to Riverside Market, especially at lunchtime. It has some of the best food options I have found in the central city.

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Ceramic mural at Oamaru Chinese Garden

A colourful red dragon ceramic mural on a park wall surrounded by greenery.

Oamaru Public Gardens is home to New Zealand’s first Chinese garden, officially opened in 1995. This colourful ceramic tile mural caught my eye as soon as I walked into the gardens. It is by artist Christine Black and sponsored by Otago Daily Times. The garden was built as a symbol of the friendship between Oamaru and the large Chinese community in the Waitaki district. The garden is a peaceful and serene space with a rockery, water features and sculptures. This colourful red dragon was my highlight of the visit.

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June Jackson mural Wellington

A large painting of an older woman on the side of a big metal shed on a dock, set against a peaceful waterfront scene.

Sailing out of Glasgow Wharf, you get a great view of central Wellington. This was one of the first views that caught my eye from the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry. I regularly walk the Commonwealth Walkway, more commonly referred to as the waterfront. Passing the light blue building which is home to the Crab Shack seafood restaurant. I had seen the Whaea June Te Raumange Jackson mural many times but never from this angle. June Jackson was a well known and much loved community worker and public servant. She died in 2022 and this mural was painted a year later by artist Graham Hoete (Mr G). The brown tones of the mural contrast well with the blue colours of the ferry and building behind. Speaking of the ferry. This is Ika Rere, New Zealand’s first electric ferry.

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What is home? by Asbestos

A large mural of a man wearing a cardboard box shaped like a house over his head on the side of a building, adding character and artistic flair to the urban landscape.

Across the road from where I was staying in Cork I came across this huge mural. Created by Irish street artist Asbestos for the 2021 Ardú Street Art Project in Cork. At first I didn’t think much of it’s meaning but I began to see more murals from Asbestos and street art exploring the theme of home in both Cork and Dublin. Reflecting on it now it challenges us to think about ‘What is Home?’ Do you have one, is it safe, can you afford it? Never has our sense of what home means been more at threat. As Asbestos put it best: “I painted this figure wearing a cardboard box on his head to start a conversation with the public about what home means to them. As a country we are currently in an existential crisis over housing and our need to put a roof over our heads. There’s a fear and uncertainty about finding a safe space, and the system seems to be stacked in favour of the landlords.”