Striking mural by local Southampton artists commissioned for south side of Central Station
With funding from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, Southampton City Council has been implementing improvements at Central Station south side, in partnership with Network Rail and South Western Railway
Callum Young starting work on the mural
The project funding has enabled the council, working with GO! Southampton, Southampton Forward and John Hansard Gallery, to commission and install a new mural close to the station.
The mural, developed by local artist Poppy Ash, was developed as part of a project led by the University of Southampton’s John Hansard Gallery. Funded by GO! Southampton, Poppy then worked with muralist Callum Young to install the striking new mural depicting highlights of the city for the south side of Central Station.
The mural is being hand painted on the side of the railway bridge stairs. It is set to be completed in December and will complement the on-going improvements being made to the station forecourt.
Poppy Ash’s artwork aims to showcase her take on Southampton’s vibrant culture and offer an exciting welcome to visitors as they arrive in Southampton. With the support of Network Rail and South Western Railway, partners intend this to be a changing space to showcase the work of artists and to provide a colourful welcome to people arriving in the city.
Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport at Southampton City Council said: “The mural is a fabulous opportunity to showcase Southampton’s home-grown artistic talent, while providing a colourful and vibrant welcome to the city. A programme of improvements to the forecourt of Central Station is almost complete and the mural will be one of the impressive finishing touches to upgrade the area.”
Poppy’s artwork impressed the judges of a competition for a local artist to have their work showcased on the front of the John Hansard Gallery’s building earlier this year. Although not the winner, the Gallery was keen to explore other places where Poppy’s work could be shown, and now the artwork has been redesigned for the commission at Central Station.
John Hansard Gallery’s Director, Woodrow Kernohan, said: “We are thrilled that local artist Poppy Ash's artwork will bring new life to Southampton's Central Station. Her vivid design captures icons of Southampton's diverse art, sport and culture. We hope this new mural will create more opportunities for artists, as well as enliven the city’s built environment."
Poppy Ash studied at University of Southampton (Winchester School of Art) and her work is now commissioned nationally by a wide range of clients. Poppy said: “I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to share my artwork and celebrate the wonderful places and activities that Southampton has to offer. I have so many great memories attached to Southampton, from University to friends and involvement in the local art collective, ZEST. I’m excited to see how it transforms the space and can’t wait to see how it evolves to spotlight the work of other local artists.”
Poppy is working alongside Callum Young, muralist and founder of LICC Design Co., to transform the digital artwork into a physical creation. Callum Young said: “It is great to be able to use my experience in mural painting to bring this design to life. It is always exciting to do artist collaborations, especially in the city I grew up and live in.”
Stephen Manion, Executive Director, GO! Southampton said: “This is all part of GO! Southampton’s wider plans and ambitious programme of work that aims to create a better city centre experience, as well as allowing artists to flourish and creativity to flow throughout the city. When visitors come into the city, this artwork gives them a real flavour of Southampton. We wanted the artwork to be exciting and to represent the city. It’s why Poppy and Callum are great choices. We’re hoping it will be enjoyed by visitors and residents.”
Claire Whitaker CBE, CEO, Southampton Forward said: “Having local artist, Poppy Ash create a mural at a key location in the city, wonderfully represents our commitment to supporting the vibrant talents within our creative community. This is a great start to ongoing plans for creating an inclusive and welcoming city. This is not just art on our walls, it’s a celebration of our city’s creativity and spirit.”
Poppy and Callum’s piece is the first phase of an exciting new opportunity that will welcome new and experienced artists to submit their work and have the chance to feature on the wall in the future.
