Renowned Cork artist to create mural in his hometown

Four Irish artists have been commissioned for a new series of large murals across Cork city as part of the Ardú public street art project

Conor Harrington's street art has been described as a blend of exquisite draughtsmanship with a roughness that is provocative and vital. Picture: Owen Richards

A renowned London-based Cork-born artist is finally set to create one of his signature large-scale street art pieces in his native city.

High-profile street artist Conor Harrington, whose visually dynamic street art can soar several stories high, is among four Irish artists who have been commissioned for a new series of large murals across Cork city as part of the Ardú public street art project.

Ardú was unveiled in Cork last October, inspired by the commemoration of the 1920 Burning of Cork, and featured work by Deirdre Breen at Wandesford Quay, Maser at The Kino, James Earley at Henry Street, Peter Martin at Kyle Street, Shane O’Driscoll at Harley Street, Aches at Anglesea Street, and Garreth Joyce at Liberty Street.

Now Ardú organisers, Shane O’Driscoll, Paul Gleeson, and Peter Martin, have lined up four more artists for the second edition of Ardú — Friz, a Belfast-based artist, whose work largely revolves around the female form; Galway-based visual artist Shane O’Malley, whose work explores colour, forms and symbols; and Asbestos, from Dublin who specialises in mixed media artwork.

Friz is a Belfast-based artist whose work largely revolves around the female form. Picture: Dermot McConaghy

It’s Friz’s first time working in Cork and she is already working on a painting at St Finbarr’s Road; Shane has painted graffiti in the city for around 20 years, and Asbestos has painted at the annual graffiti jams in the city in recent years.

Mr O’Driscoll said commissioning artwork from top homegrown talent is the main aim of Ardú.

“At a time when we face shared and personal challenges, each of our artist’s murals are a rallying cry to the city — a call to remember that we have been through terrible times before and we rose up. We can do it again,” he said.

Having made such a positive impact on the city last year, we are excited to be back with another line-up of inspiring artists to transform Cork city’s streets. 

Harrington, whose street art has been described as a blend of exquisite draughtsmanship with a roughness that is provocative and vital, and whose canvas works are said to “evoke the intensity of Caravaggio, the craft of Martin Scorsese and the facility with paint of Gerhard Richter”, is expected to create one of his signature large-scale pieces in a prominent city centre location.

Galway-based visual artist Shane O’Malley, whose work explores colour, forms and symbols. Picture: Julia Dunin Photography

Based in London since the mid 2000s, Harrington has created street art in New York, Miami, Paris, London, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Aalborg, Mallorca, Sao Paulo, San Juan, and the Bethlehem Wall, he has exhibited widely in London, New York, and Los Angeles, and his work has been bought by celebrities including Alicia Keys, Jared Leto, and Damien Hirst.

Details on all the new Ardú locations will be announced soon. The project is supported by Cork City Council and the Creative Ireland Programme.