21 Dec 2022Southland artist Danny Owen (Deow) has unveiled his new mural titled ‘NATURE’, as one of ten winners in this year’s Keep New Zealand Beautiful Resene Nature Mural Competition. This is the second year in a row that Deow has won a place in the competition, which gives artists across the country the opportunity to paint a mural, with an environmental theme or message, to help beautify an area in their local community. The mural is located on West Plains Road, Invercargill and faces all north bound traffic like a billboard. It features the words ‘Look deep into nature, then you will understand everything better’. Deow says the words in the mural are from an old quote that still makes sense now more than ever. “Nature is the essence of life and from nature comes everything so it is important we preserve it. My hope is to create some awareness from the design and I hope to help others appreciate what we have and how better off we are when we take care of nature.” Deow used a selection of Resene paint colours in the mural including Hippy Green, Corn Field, Red Tape and Lemon Ginger. About the Resene Nature Murals Competition The Resene Nature Murals Competition, which is part of the Paint New Zealand Beautiful programme, ran from April to June 2022. Community members were called on to submit mural designs, which include an environmental message, for a wall to paint in their local community. Artists from around the country sent in their designs, with the top ten murals selected based on their environmental message, enhancement of the community, and originality/creativity. Winners then have until the end of 2022 to bring their mural to life. Winning designs receive a $750 Resene paint voucher and other materials to paint their mural, receive a $1,000 grant upon completion Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO, Heather Saunderson, says: “Our Resene Nature Murals Competition provides a great opportunity for artists to beautify their local communities. In its sixth year, this competition continues to grow in popularity and we’re always so impressed with the calibre of entries we receive that narrowing down the selection to just ten winners is getting harder and harder. We’re so excited to see these murals come to life, knowing how the beautification of public spaces greatly benefits communities by increasing civic pride and deterring vandalism and anti-social behaviour such as littering and graffiti.” The ten winning artists and regions are listed below, and their designs can be viewed here. Micaela van den Berg, Sunrise, Kaipara Brigita Botma, Harmony, Auckland Carol Green & Kim Littlejohn, Bringing Nature to the City, Auckland Corey Harbrow, Keep NZ Beautiful, Christchurch Danny Owen, Nature, Invercargill Leon Hohepa, Future Generations, Porirua Matt Russell, Resilience, Wellington Paranika Dudley Heeth, The Return of Nature, Auckland Shann Whitaker, The Interconnection of all Living Things, Mangawhai Vanessa Barclay, The World is in Our Hands, Cambridge Share this page
