Ardú Street Project unveils three new striking murals in Cork city
Over the past few weeks, the Ardú crew took to the manlifts and ladders, and now reveal three more large scale murals in the city by some of the most exciting names on the international scene - Claire Prouvost, Kitsune Jolene, and VENTS137.
Another injection of colour for the streets of Cork city with three new Ardú Street Project murals created by renowned street artists.
The street project was born during lockdown in 2020, originally bringing seven of Ireland’s most respected street artists — Deirdre Breen, Maser, James Earley, Peter Martin, Shane O’Driscoll, Aches, and Garreth Joyce — together to create murals at different Cork city centre locations.
Over the past few weeks, the Ardú crew took to the streets to create three more large-scale murals in the city. This year’s murals are by some of the most exciting names on the international scene — Claire Prouvost, Kitsune Jolene, and VENTS137.
Claire Prouvost is a French visual artist based in Dublin. She is known for the use of colourful, bold and minimal style and draws inspiration from the Cubists.
Prouvost’s design is inspired by the Firkin Crane dance centre, which is just around the corner from her mural on Shandon Street.
“This mural is a hint to the location of the iconic building. I wanted to represent the energy and movement of dance, music, theatre and performance arts, and how it connects human beings,” she says.
“Cork and Ireland overall have an ancestral culture of dance and music that is still evolving to this day, from traditional to more contemporary performances. The cheerful colour palette is a visual representation of the various artforms as well as the impact of dance on our wellbeing, for both the performers and the public.”
Kitsune Jolene is from Ghent, Belgium and is known for her colourful and emotive works and dreamy depictions, drawing inspiration from personal life stories or mythology and folklore.
Speaking on the latest design at Sullivan’s Quay, she said: “The mural I’ve painted is a twist on the mythology around Celtic mother goddess Danu, combined with the river Lee running through Cork alongside my piece on Sullivans Quay which reflects the Milky Way on clear nights."
“I like to think that even today, no matter who you meet or cross paths with on the streets, they could be gods in disguise.”
VENTS137, who was born to a Cork family but is now based in Bristol, follows traditional graffiti methods. His mural at South Terrace “represents 40 years of experiencing Cork, a far cry from an outsider, yet born on the other side of the sea”.
“Deep in a heritage from both sides, life so similar yet so different. A youth spent in dusty back-room bars, listening to stories from my grandma of a bygone age. The illuminated bar lights on the walls outside, the melee of cheer and excitement contained within. The black booze, the white puffs of smoke, those crisps!,” the artist says.
The area of South Terrace is one of the oldest graffiti halls of fame in Irish graffiti history, he says, and so his wall is a nod to Cork's history but also the history of the area and the artists who have come through.
“I spent many nights and long days painting in here, up ladders and my last piece of graffiti I was involved in painting there is still there as a reminder to all the residents of the new housing of the history that car park represents.”
- To keep up to date on the Ardú Street Art project follow @ArduStreetArt on Instagram and @ArduStreetArt on Twitter
