Narratives for Wild Walls Festival large scale murals

All murals were co-designed in a series of summer community art workshops for young people. 

ATMA’s huge mural on the James Hehir Building on the Waterfront and owned by the University of Suffolk, was commissioned by Wild Walls co-producer, Art Eat Events CIC. This mural’s paint-up began on Wednesday 4 September and is expected to last between one and two weeks. 

ATMA, based in London, said: 

“The mural, called ‘From Ipswich with Love’, is like a love letter from Ipswich to the world. I had the incredible opportunity to do workshops with Ipswich residents – the mural design on the James Hehir Building was born from these workshops. The mural showcases the beautiful spirit of Ipswich: creative, loving, open, forward thinking.  

“Also, considering Ipswich as one of the most ancient towns in the UK, and at the opening to the sea, the mural will include details and references that I hope people will enjoy discovering. The focus of my work is to create an uplifting narrative anchored in its location, which resonates with its local community. And I hope the mural will become a timeless universal message of kindness, positivity and vibrancy.” 

KB Design’s mural was commissioned by Wild Walls co-producer, Art Eat Events CIC, and is found on Great Colman Street, Ipswich. 

“We collaborated with young people from Ipswich to develop the ideas and theme of this mural. Through a set of four workshops, we asked participants to create their own murals through the use of photomontage techniques, we then used these outcomes to create a conceptual design. 

“The design creates a very abstract visualisation of Ipswich, through the use of random elements linking loosely to the town, all of which were mentioned at some point during the workshops. “A Place to be yourself” brings the elements together and encourages the viewer to embrace individuality.” 

The mural on The Hold – home of Suffolk Archives – is by Peterborough artist, Nathan Murdoch, and commissioned by Wild Walls co-producer, The Subversiv Collective.  

Nathan Murdoch, from Peterborough, explained:  

“This mural was co-created at community workshops over the summer, and in partnership with Suffolk Archives, based at The Hold. The design has been influenced by the Archives’ important work, which includes safeguarding and storing historical records, and supporting the public in their research and education. 

“The mural shows a hand which is holding a portal – this suggests the ability to time travel. There is also a book with origami butterflies, made with folded archive records, flying out of the pages. This speaks to historical stories flying out of the portal into the present day, and how information is accessible to the public in Suffolk and beyond. 

“The round portal is a seafaring reference, with The Hold being based close to the Waterfront and Ipswich being a maritime town.” 

The mural on Ashtons Legal’s building facing Ipswich Town Football Club is by Woskerski and commissioned by Wild Walls co-producer, The Subversiv Collective. 

Woskerski, based in London, commented:  

“The goal of the mural and the surreal style of my work is not only to make people smile, but also to make them stop and try to interpret the art in their own way. A cute ladybird makes people smile, and when you look closer, you realise some of its spots are missing.  

“Instead, you have members of the community making their own mark on the ladybird’s shell, which can also be seen as them making a difference. This is empowering. It also portrays the joy that people feel when doing something artistic. I hope the people of Ipswich enjoy and have fun with the mural.”