Interconnected mural, Oxford

In September 2020, I was commissioned by Fusion Arts Oxford in partnership with Oxford City Council to create a public health message mural on Manzil Way, Cowley, sited just in front of a health centre.

While the primary message of the mural was the need to wear masks during the pandemic, I wanted to a secondary message of solidarity, compassion and interconnectedness, and to anchor this in the local area. The mural therefore is based on a map of East Oxford, transformed into a vibrant, organic root systems mapping local roads, streets and paths.

The closer you get to the mural the more you see; interspersed are small notes of gratitude for key workers, strangers, neighbours and volunteers who acted compassionately during lockdown. These messages were collected via social media and from passers-by whilst I painted, incorporated into the mural as fine delicate roots in white, linking the main roots to one another.