Resene nature murals now on display around New Zealand

02 Dec 2021

Three new winning murals in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Resene Nature Murals Competition 2021 are now complete. The Resene Nature Murals Competition is part of the Paint New Zealand Beautiful programme and ran from April to June 2021, with artists entering designs with an environmental message. Ten winners were chosen, and they have a year to complete their works.

Brigita Botma's award-winning mural titled, ‘Our Next Generation’, features on the main road in Waiuku, Auckland. The mural on Queen Street shows a little girl climbing a tree to remove litter with the help of a kererū. “It reinforces a reminder of the importance in protecting our future generations through a strong message of a pollution-free future,'' says Brigita.

Christchurch artist, Corey Harbrow, has unveiled his mural titled, ‘Game Over’, on the administration block at Cuthberts Green in Bromley, Christchurch. His mural depicts an arcade toy claw game with endangered animals as the toys. “Our Planet is Not a Game reflects a serious environmental message but in a lighthearted manner. The vibrant claw machine contains species that are super vulnerable or on the brink of extinction," says Corey.

​​Southland artist, Deow Owen, has completed ‘The Journey of the Pīwakawaka’, in Invercargill's CBD.  The mural in Spey Street shows a fantail in flight through New Zealand native forest. Deow says the pīwakawaka is the storyteller of the history of New Zealand's native forest. “I want the mural to carry on the story and journey of the pīwakawaka by protecting our native trees and shrubs that were here long before us and will be here long after we have gone,” he says.

Each winner receives a $1000 grant on completion, along with a $750 Resene ColorShop voucher and other materials to paint their mural. Keep New Zealand Beautiful CEO, Heather Saunderson, said, "Our Nature Murals Competition is getting more popular every year. This is the fifth year we've run the competition in partnership with Resene. We know the benefits that beautification of public spaces can have on local communities, so we're always excited to see it when these murals come to life.”

See the full list of winners and their designs here.

Published: 02 Dec 2021