Kondo City Mural @Kondo Secondary School
Kondo City Mural @Kondo Secondary School
In 2011, I travelled to Tanzania and connected with a community initiative called Art in Tanzania. I partnered with a school in Dar es Salaam to create a collaborative mural with the students, initially centred around the idea of imagining a futuristic African city.
We began with classroom sessions discussing what makes a city function, what is unique about Tanzania, and what the children would include in their dream city. However, as the project evolved, the children's ideas naturally shifted towards themes that reflected their immediate environment and hopes for their community. The concept of a futuristic city gave way to a more grounded vision of a community hub—featuring schools, parks, markets, and places of gathering.
The students sketched their ideas, which came together in a vibrant mural painted directly onto a school wall. The children were incredibly proud of their work, and the mural now serves as a lasting source of inspiration and pride within the school and local community.
Peru Community Mural 2010
In 2010, I was fortunate to spend nearly a year in Peru, working on community-based art projects with local children. I spent the majority of my time in Iquitos, which is the largest city in the world accessible only by boat or plane, where I collaborated with a French NGO called Proynos. The organisation focused on improving sanitation in communities by building compost toilets, which served not only as essential infrastructure but also as community hubs.
These shared spaces became venues for afternoon art workshops with local children. Despite a limited budget, we creatively used recycled materials to design vibrant murals that celebrated local identity and culture. With the Amazon rainforest so central to the children’s lives, our artistic work reflected their stories, cultural heritage, and environmental concerns.
One of the most meaningful outcomes of this collaboration was a children’s book we created together called Rubbish Monster. Developed through storytelling workshops and illustrated by the children themselves, the book conveys messages about environmental responsibility. We worked alongside author Meredith to shape the narrative, which was then translated into Spanish so it could be shared and enjoyed widely within the community.
Los Niños De Belen
This video was produced to showcase local children taking ownership of their environment. Enthusiastic about the project, the children created vibrant banners addressing the issue of rubbish in their community, which they proudly displayed during a small parade through their neighbourhood.
The video was later shared with other communities across the city as an act of solidarity, amplifying the children's voices. Its colourful visuals and playful tone reflected the vibrancy of the community, while keeping the children's message about environmental responsibility at its heart, resonating both locally and beyond.
Pisco Sin Fronteras Children's Centre Mural
Pisco Sin Fronteras Children's Centre Mural
The first project I visited in Peru was Pisco Sin Fronteras, a community initiative established in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the region in 2007. The project focused on rebuilding homes and providing vital support to local residents.
As part of my contribution, I collaborated with local children—many of whom had been relocated to a new settlement—to design and paint a mural. Inspired by the community’s strong connection to the sea and fishing, the mural featured fish illustrations created by the children themselves, which they proudly painted onto the wall.
The mural became a vibrant feature of the new community centre, a safe and welcoming space where children can learn, play, and express themselves creatively.
