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Pink Floyd fan marks milestone with Norwich murals

Jade Zienkiewicz Graffiti artist Martin ZienkiewiczJade Zienkiewicz
Martin Zienkiewicz has been creating murals on the sides of houses in Norwich as a way to mark the milestone of turning 40

A carpenter and Pink Floyd fan who was keen to rediscover his love of graffiti to mark turning 40 has created two giant murals in his neighbourhood.

Martin Zienkiewicz knocked on countless doors looking for householders to take up his offer of painting a mural on the side of their terraced homes.

He was delighted when a couple in Norwich agreed, with their neighbours then also approaching him for a design.

One features Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album cover.

Mr Zienkiewicz said he had been "fulfilling a dream" with his artworks.

He said it was also a way of him paying back for the "dirty graffiti and tags" he did as a teenager growing up in Poland before he progressed to creating street art there.

Martin Zienkiewicz End of terrace walls graffiti before murals were painted overMartin Zienkiewicz
The artists canvassed neighbours to see who would like their external walls cleared of graffiti and replaced with his designs
AFP Dark Side of the Moon graffiti on a terrace houseAFP
Mr Zienkiewicz wanted to recreate the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon album design due to its angles and bright colours

"It wasn't a middle age crisis, but I thought I've got to reinvent myself," said Mr Zienkiewicz, who moved to Norwich in 2018 from London.

"I thought you need to do something with yourself that you used to like as a teenager - and that was graffiti.

"I've got some simple ideas and wanted to fulfil my own inner self."

Jade Zienkiewicz Zig-zag mural on houseJade Zienkiewicz

After moving to the north of the city with his wife and eight-year-old son, Mr Zienkiewicz then canvassed homeowners for the chance to clean up the end walls of their terraces and pay for all materials in exchange for a blank canvas.

Storm Thorgerson

He had been set on recreating the Dark Side of the Moon album cover due to both being a fan of Floyd, and of graphic design.

The album cover - showing light refracted through a prism on a black background - was originally designed in 1973 by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis, who went to grammar school in Cambridge with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and original singer/guitarist Syd Barrett.

Jade Zienkiewicz Martin Zienkiewicz working on the Pink Floyd designJade Zienkiewicz
The Pink Floyd mural took two days to complete

"I'm new to the area and this is my first home in my life," said Mr Zienkiewicz, who turned 40 in October and works as a painter and decorator.

"I want to feel like I'm part of this community that I'm going to stay in for a long time.

"I wanted to see a different type of wall art - I was trying to pull off a mathematical design using spirit levels and measuring up, because I'm a carpenter."

Jade Zienkiewicz Martin Zienkiewicz working on the zig-zag designJade Zienkiewicz
Mr Zienkiewicz said he liked creating graphic-style designs that relied on his skills as a carpenter

Neighbours living opposite the Floyd mural in Knowsley Road were so impressed they then commissioned a zig-zag pattern, with each artwork costing Mr Zienkiewicz about £250 and taking two days to complete.

He is now about to embark on painting a third house in the NR3 area and is keen to find more spaces, but now just donating his time and labour.

"I'm happy people are liking it and enjoying it," he said.

Jade Zienkiewicz Martin Zienkiewicz standing in front of his zig-zag designJade Zienkiewicz
Mr Zienkiewicz said he would spent much of his time as a teenager drawing and creating street art pieces
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