Background
The 106 photos in this presentation are based on visits to Christchurch during two separate weeks late January and mid-March 2025. I was impressed by the redevelopment of the inner city, and the fact that street facing walls on many new buildings (as well as older existing buildings) were adorned with large scale art works. There were also many murals on walls facing open spaces on undeveloped empty lots as well as those on boundary fences in locations awaiting redevelopment. On 11 March a Radio NZ news item noted that in 2017 Lonely Planet had named Christchurch as a global street art capital alongside New York, London, and Berlin, so I was keen to see as many street art murals as I could by walking around the city. A selection from my photo record is set out below.
A living record of Christchurch City street art is maintained on the “Watch This Space” website at https://watchthisspace.org.nz inspired and maintained by Oi! You, the YMCA, Canterbury Museum and Spectrum where you can use the crowdsourced map of street art locations to explore works throughout the city.
Introduction to Christchurch Street Art
Street art has evolved from what Wikipedia calls “the early forms of defiant graffiti” into presenting thought provoking outdoor artwork using a wider set of tools then just the simple spray can. The role of paint spray cans in street art is celebrated in Christchurch by the eight giant cans located as art objects at the corner of Manchester and Lichfield streets.
The 4.5m high cans are in two groups, one group of three for established artists to provide long-term works that will be refreshed periodically, the other group of five being available as “free-for-all” surfaces for anyone to illustrate on a first come first served basis. It has been recommended that anyone using the “free-for-all” cans should document their work immediately on completion as it could be repainted on within hours of finishing their contribution.
The three established artists spray paint cans.
The five “free-for-all” spray paint cans.
Contents of this Photo Record
The photo record is grouped as follows:
- People
- Faces
- Animals
- Birds
- Environment
- Cityscape
- Patterns
- Weird and Wondrous
- and Finally
PEOPLE
This mural created in September 2023 was funded by The Hine te Hiringa – Empower Women Utilising FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Fund, and supported by Watch this Space and ChristchurchNZ to celebrate the lives and achievements of a group of five influential wahine women. The women featured in the mural include singer, broadcaster and champion for Māori culture and language, Airini Nga Roimata Grennell (centre), award winning writer and activist in feminism, social justice and peace movements Elsie Locke (top left), prominent activist in the fields of Māori welfare and health Erihapeti Rehu-Murchie (lower right), conservationist and leader in Ngāi Tahu Wharetutu Te Aroha Stirling (lower left), and paraplegic Olympic archer who won Commonwealth Games Gold competing against able bodied competitors Neroli Fairhall (top right).
[Further information at https://www.christchurchnz.com/news/mural-celebrating-female-success]
Sir Edmund Hillary
Lord Earnest Rutherford
Access to Rutherford’s den at Canterbury College (now the Arts Centre).
David Kidwell, New Zealand Rugby League 2017 World Cup head coach – High Street Lichfield Street corner.
John Britten, motorcycle innovator.
New Brighton community mural.
FACES
Trade Training mural 1
Trade Training mural 2
The above two murals were partly obscured behind a new building
This photo, taken before erection of the new building, was sourced from a TV presentation in the Earthquake Centre/
ANIMALS
BIRDS
ENVIRONMENT
Christchurch Gondola
CITYSCAPE
PATTERNS
WEIRD and WONDROUS
and FINALLY —–
A New Brighton Mural Artist (?)