Wood Street mural unveiled

Walking around the Mangawhai Heads shopping centre is no longer what it used to be.

Recent renovations provided the perfect backdrop for a new mural near the Liquor Store at 10 Wood Street.

Artist Kell Sunshine, accompanied by her little dog Pipi, finished it last year after nearly five days of work, from early morning to dusk.

“The brief was to create something fun and vibrant for an otherwise large grey wall,” she said.

The muralist, who defines herself as a “travelling artist and dog mama,” returned to the village after six years to leave her mark and bring some color to the streets.

“I really enjoyed being in Mangawhai. The locals weren’t shy about coming up to express their appreciation of the mural. It’s so nice to feel welcomed into a community,” she said.

Kell said the 60 square metre mural was commissioned by a client who wanted to celebrate Mangawhai’s surf and skate culture, and avoid any clichés.

“The main character in this piece is unapologetically riding the wind with her trusty sidekick on board, straight out of the surf and on her way to the skatepark. Off to the side, I’ve added a sea monster devouring a trawling ship as an act of reckoning – an embodied force of the ocean defending the fragile, unseen worlds being scraped away in the dark by deep-sea trawlers.”

For about 16 years, Kell has painted murals across New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, Greece and Indonesia. She says she is inspired by the interwoven world of living beings and describes her work as “a celebration of connection”.

As with her other murals, the Mangawhai piece was painted entirely with brushes and rollers using latex house paint, following her trademark style, which she defines as “lush, curvaceous, clean, bold and tender, with vibrant, meticulously chosen colour palettes.”

The central area, where most people gather during the summer, will have the chance to see Kell’s creation and perhaps realise that walking along Wood Street is no longer what it used to be.