Brightening Ballyfermot

The name of this project is ‘Brightening Ballyfermot’. The aim of this project was to transform a graffiti-ridden bridge in the area into a beautiful street art mural. As a group, we all brainstormed ideas of what mural we should create. We talked about problems in our area and about the experiences we all had. We decided to choose diversity as the theme for this piece. Our youth leaders at Ballyfermot Youth Services along with the help from artist Ayelet Lalor, helped us stencil out the design for us to paint.

We wanted to make it as inclusive as possible. We decided on seven characters and each group member got to decide what race and ethnicity they should be. Everyone got to choose a character to paint.  Doing the mural I have learned to make new friends and have learnt a lot about teamwork. When we were sketching we listened to everyone’s opinion, everyone had a voice and a lot of teamwork went into this project. It’s very satisfying to see all the hard work you have done pay off. 

Art is a form of expression, it can be anything you desire, it can be a simple drawing, it can be a doodle in a sketchbook, or it could be a great sculpture in a gallery. Art can express our emotions, we can use a simple colour of blue to express we are sad or red to express anger. It expresses something our feelings cannot with words. It expresses a story that the artist wants to tell.

Art isn’t something you need to go to a gallery to pay for, it could be a simple drawing on a wall or graffiti. This mural is very personal to everyone that lives here because it describes and shows our ways to express our art and to express our individuality. It shows that we accept everyone no matter what race they are. 

A world without art would be a very dull world. 

Artist: Ayelet Lalor