Huge artwork celebrating the Welsh capital unveiled in Cardiff city centre

Nation.Cymru Team

A massive mural has appeared on one of Cardiff’s busiest streets, celebrating the city’s culture, identity and future.

Bethan Roberts’ design is a result of a collaboration between USW and FOR Cardiff, the capital’s business improvement district (BID) which aims to create a more vibrant, welcoming city centre for all.

The public artwork has been installed on the walls of the former New Look store on Queen Street, creating a striking piece for shoppers, residents and office workers to enjoy.

Students were tasked with creating large scale window graphics for the project, using illustration as a tool to transform a vacant public space into an engaging, positive design for the community – with Bethan’s work chosen as the winner.

The former New Look store was the ideal space due to its scale and prominent location in the city centre, with a large captive audience walking through Queen Street every day.

Second year student Bethan developed her design over a number of weeks, through research, sketchbook ideas and digital experimentation before producing the final artwork. She focused the piece on Cardiff’s visual identity, while pointing towards a greener future for the city.

Liam Barrett, Illustration lecturer at USW, said: “It’s been great seeing students respond to a real public brief and produce work that becomes part of the city itself in such a visible way.

“I’m really proud of the ambition and professionalism they’ve shown throughout the project. I’d also like to thank Emily Cotterill from FOR Cardiff for her guidance throughout the project, alongside local illustrator Matt Joyce for his support during the development process.”

Emily Cotterill, Associate Director at FOR Cardiff, added: “We’re so proud to have delivered this project in collaboration with USW, and for Bethan’s fantastic design to be seen on one of our busiest streets.

“For us, this is another example of how public art can brighten spaces whilst supporting emerging local talent. As we head towards our BID3 ballot, we’re continuing to shine a light on the projects helping create a more vibrant, welcoming city centre for everyone.”