During the Summer of 2021, we worked with various communities across Dundee in a series of creative co-design workshops, imagining how they would like to see the plaza outside V&A Dundee transformed. Together we sketched and collaged abstract shapes inspired by the local environment, highlighted areas of significance around the site, and built up some valuable insight into how the community wanted to see this area used. The biggest take away for us was that the community wanted the space to spark feelings of joy, curiosity and play, so we aimed to achieve this with the piece.

We constructed a poem from the written responses and conversations in the workshops. These words, along with the bold colourful shapes, guide the public on a playful journey around the plaza. The custom typeface is based on the old signage of the well loved Leisure Centre that was previously situated on the site. We have embellished the letters with shapes that were generated during the workshops.

We returned to Dundee in July to paint during a heatwave so hot that the paint was drying almost as soon as it hit the floor! With lots of long hours, help from the workshop participants and V&A staff, bottles of suntan lotion, and ice-cream to keep us going, we managed to complete this huge sunny summertime mural in under two weeks. It was definitely a joy to paint.