Colour us impressed

Cork city is awash with colour as some new striking large scale murals have been thoughtfully installed.

It’s part of Ardú Street Art, the open-air gallery and following the group’s first mural of 2025 at Cork Airport - The Wonder of Travel - a collaboration between Cork-based artists Peter Martin and Shane O’Driscoll, two new murals have now been completed across the city.

Lower Glanmire Road/Water Street (former Shane O’Malley mural)

Cork-born multidisciplinary artist Kone.one, deeply rooted in graffiti culture, has developed a distinctive style blending graphic and illustrative elements with figurative realism. Having travelled widely, he returned home to create a bold, dynamic new mural titled ‘Assembly’ for Ardú 2025.

Kone.one said: “Push and Pull, lift up and be held. Redistribute of weight. What does community and friendship mean to you? In these polarising times, building networks and bringing people together, creating support systems and strength though connection and community seems imperative.

“The idea began with a photo shoot with friends and developed in the studio with cut paper. Creating a delicate composition of textures and shadows. Cut away, pile up. Tension in balance and support. Celebrating the spirit and ingrained attitudes of solidarity and resistance of Cork.”

Liberty Street (former Garreth Joyce Mural)

Jo Hicks (aka Hixxy) is a renowned Nottinghamshire born mural artist now living in Dublin. Grounded in collage and printmaking, her work has a playful, sometime surreal quality. Interested in exploring themes around connection, personal space, limbo and balance, Hixxy explores what are the knock on effects we have to one another, and how to balance the need for community yet retain identity.

Composition through collage allows for serendipity and unforeseen outcomes that play with negative space, layers, shadows and texture to communicate depth.

Hixxy said: “With this piece I wanted to celebrate the Port of Cork. Cork’s Harbour has been a key part in Cork city’s history and development, so I wanted to highlight this. I have taken elements that represent this area such as seagulls, the fishing nets and the water.

“The location of the mural is one of the main entrances to the city so I wanted to ensure it was a positive, colourful, visual story that can be digested while driving, walking and cycling past it.”

Established in Cork during the lockdown of October 2020, Ardú Street Art brought together seven of Ireland’s most respected street artists to create large-scale murals across the city. Driven by phenomenal community engagement and support, the initiative has returned each year, transforming Cork’s streets with 19 vibrant murals over the past 5 years. These inspiring pieces have become key features of Cork’s cultural landscape, sparking conversation, creativity, and civic pride while drawing visitors and locals alike to explore the city in a new way.

Ardú Street Art is the brainchild of visual artist and designer Shane O’Driscoll, muralist and stained-glass artist Peter Martin, and Cork Graffiti Jam organiser Paul Gleeson. The project is managed by Rose-Anne Kidney (Goldiefish Events) and made possible with the support of Creative Ireland, Cork City Council Arts Office, Cork’s Night Time Economy Department and Pat McDonnell Paints.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.