Untitled by Hayley Welsh, 2019

This street art was part of the 2019 Whanganui Walls event and was painted by Hayley Welsh. Read her artist statement:

"We are the river and the river is us.

Every day we hear little voices. The loudness of life muffles them sometimes, but they’re
still there – listen.

My art is really a by-product of listening to those voices and making sense of the world
around us, illustrating an ongoing narrative of a larger story. Like pages of a book set on
walls across the globe.

In this current chapter, the creatures or ‘voices’ are all lost, trying to find their way home
working together to find that new place… wherever or whatever that may be.

This piece for Whanganui Walls, was deeply inspired by Whanganui’s unique energy and
history, with the well-loved verse ‘I am the river and the river is me’. The idea of us all being
part of, not separate to nature, and connected through a larger entity.

It’s my belief, that if we use our imagination, through deeper connection with the natural
world, togetherness and bravery for new possibilities, we can find a future for us all.

We are the river and the river is us." - Hayley Welsh

Photo credit: Yoshi_travel_films