Library mural a sign of art to come

A new mural at Hamilton Central Library is a tangible sign the Central City Transformation Plan's Laneways Plan is progressing.

Funded by the Vibrant Hamilton Trust, the mural will be painted by artist Hayley King AKA Flox this month.  

Flox's mural will reflect the lush Paradise Gardens collection at Hamilton Gardens, and will adorn the wall facing onto the Central Library Laneway off Alexandra Street.  It will take a week to create, weather
permitting.

It's the biggest artwork Flox has created and she's relishing the challenge of painting on a large scale.

"My process involves using intricately hand-cut stencils, and so there have been many hours of preparation time involved even before I get on-site," she says.

"I love working as large scale as I can; it's about pushing the boundaries and seeing how far I go with the stencil process, but it's also about working publicly and communicating with locals on a grass roots level."

Flox and her assistant will be using acrylic roller paint for the background colours, then spray paint and stencil work over the top.


Photo courtesy of Hamilton City Council

Mayor Julie Hardaker welcomed the creation of the new mural.

“It is a beautiful artwork and will bring alive the Library Laneway.  It is the start of the transformation of this laneway into a space for people to use and enjoy and more changes are planned for the laneway as part of the Central City Transformation Plan.”

Hamilton City Libraries Director Su Scott says the mural will be seen by passers-by walking up Alexandra Street and the bold colours will mean it catches the attention of pedestrians.

"Flox's mural will reflect another of the city's fantastic assets, which is a nice link. It's going to add a beautiful splash of colour to our building and we're excited about our early involvement in the Laneways Plan,” she says.