We are excited to have partnered with Mural artists Martin Travers and Lionel Stanhope to bring a beautiful piece of artwork to life on the piazza!
Who are the Artists?
Martin Travers is an international muralist, professional visual artist and an Arts educator with a background in Graffiti, Street Art and Mural Painting. Born in Swindon and raised in South London where he started out making graffiti in the mid-eighties. Martin now travels the world painting murals and working on community arts projects. He is the founding director of two organisations, “ROOTZ” in the Netherlands and “Kala Sikchya” in Nepal. Both are rooted in Hip Hop and use Creativity to empower young people from marginalised communities.
Lionel Stanhope is a London based Street Artist who grew up in Kingston-upon-Thames and first got into art in the eighties through Graffiti. After turning his hand to sign-writing he went on to painting scenery for theatre, films and TV across the UK for more than 10 years. Now with his series of railway bridge murals that burst with local pride, Lionel has combined his skills at sign writing and scenic art with his passion for Street art. Lionel’s company “scenic arts services” in collaboration with Network Rail have painted more than 45 murals across London in the last eight years.
Our Mural, designed by Martin Travers
“The central image is a Marsh Fritillary Butterfly which is symbolic of the triumph of local conservation and an inspiration for the nation. This particular butterfly was recently brought back from the brink of extinction thanks to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and local public support. By increasing the size of the trusts nature reserve they were then able to plant large areas of flowers which provide a vital habitat for the butterfly. By dramatically increasing the numbers of the Devils-Bit Scabius plant, which is the preferred food of the Marsh Fritillary, they were able to save the butterfly. The round purple flowers in the picture are the Devils-Bit Scabius flower.
“On the right-hand panel is the Yellow Wagtail bird sitting on a branch. The Yellow Wagtail is a bird that although migrates to Sub-Saharan Africa in the winter, breeds in the UK and can be found in Wiltshire. Making its stay in the UK very important to its survival as a species. Unfortunately, its numbers have been in rapid decline since 1993 with a drop of 43%. I included this bird in my design as a way to bring attention to and help to save this wonderful, colourful little bird.
“The bird on the left side panel is a Grey Heron. In Spring, and occasionally in Autumn, you may see Herons soaring high above woodlands or sometimes perching in trees. But as they also spend much time on the ground, you might spot one near a lake or river standing still for long periods with an upright stance, often on a single leg.”
Our Mural is located on the piazza, at the front of Regent Circus. We hope you like the design as much as we do!