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Peterborough: Artist transforms street with 'positive' mural

Nathan Murdoch Colourful mural on side of houseNathan Murdoch
The giant mural in Peterborough took two weeks to complete

A street artist who has transformed part of a city with a giant mural says he wants it to "bring light into people's lives".

Nathan Murdoch, 37, created the artwork on the corner of Gladstone Street and Bright Street in Peterborough.

The artist received global acclaim in 2020 with his Unity hands mural - which was tweeted by American rapper Ice-T.

He described the new artwork as a "collaboration" between communities, "to bring some good to our city."

The colourful mural, called Hello My Beautiful People, was developed over the course of two weeks, including "six of seven" solid days of painting.

Father-of-two Mr Murdoch, from Werrington in Peterborough, said: "I've had so much love. I've felt a bucket list of milestones of my 24-year graffiti journey.

"It's been emotional."

He said the mural could be seen by "50 cars per minute passing the scene every day."

"I've now painted my largest solo project in my home city on a building I spent time in as a child," he added.

"I tell you it's been a huge bumpy road to reach this point. I feel positively emotional. I've had so much love."

Nathan Murdoch Nathan Murdoch in front of muralNathan Murdoch
Nathan Murdoch said he wanted the artwork to make people in Peterborough smile

The work is part of Diesel Streets: One Year of Street Art with Battle Lines Korporate Industries C5 - and funded by Arts Council England.

Mr Murdoch, of Street Arts Hire Ltd, has been working with Unspoken, a company which aims to help people improve their lives.

The mural features one of the good deeds the organisation has enabled, he said.

PA Media Street artist Nathan Murdoch touches up his anti-racism mural in Peterborough, CambridgeshirePA Media
Nathan Murdoch's Unity piece in Peterborough has been shared globally, including by rappers Ice-T and Chuck D

Mr Murdoch's work had gone viral in recent years, including his tribute to Prodigy frontman Keith Flint, and images that promote anti-racist messages.

But he says with this mural he hopes to make people feel good about the city of Peterborough.

"We wanted to make people smile," Mr Murdoch added.

"We used really bright colours. We wanted to bring joy and happiness and light into people's lives."

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