Giant Olympic Graffiti Mural in Birmingham

Internationally acclaimed visual artist Mohammed Ali will be showcasing his latest large scale urban art mural to coincide with the Olympic Torch arriving in Birmingham this weekend. Mohammed has been working with local young people from across the Sparkhill area, on the mural throughout the week in preparation for the big unveil on the morning of the 1st July 2012.

The award winning artist has produced murals in New York, Chicago, Melbourne and Dubai and now brings one of his biggest murals into his home city of Birmingham. He will be transforming the walls of the historic Sparkhill swimming baths and adding a splash of color to the neighborhood to celebrate the Olympic spirit and its shared values with Birmingham’s diverse faith communities.

The mural measuring 80 feet in diameter and scaling 20 feet high will be one of the largest pieces of commissioned urban art in Birmingham which overlooks Sparkhill Park, in the heart of one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. Mohammed speaks of his own childhood growing up in the area and the opportunity to give something back to a community he is passionate about.

‘As a child, I learn to swim at this pool. I never imagined I’d be painting a giant mural on the side of it to welcome the Olympic torch to my home city. This mural will bring the Olympic Spirit via public art into the lives of everyday people, something i believe strongly in, using art to connect different communities’.

Funded through the Near Neighbors Program the mural serves as a fitting finale to the Sunrise in Sparkhill program that will celebrate the arrival of the torch to the neighborhood at approximately 6.30am on Sunday morning.

The event in the park will be attended by the Bishop of Birmingham who commented:

“The Olympic Games and the torch relay are already bringing communities together to celebrate our shared values and strengthen our neighborhoods by building trusting relationships between people from different faiths, ethnicities, ages and backgrounds. I am delighted that Christian and Muslim young people have come together with Mohammed Ali to create this mural and I am sure it will be a fantastic reminder of what is possible when people work together to transform their communities.”

Mohammed will be working on the mural everyday this week from 10-5pm.

To follow progress on the mural visit www.soulcityarts.com or follow the twitter hashtag #OlympicGraffiti