Cardiff's well-known 'My Cymru My Shirt' mural has been replaced by a rugby-themed artwork ahead of the Six Nations. The mural, which has become a popular feature in the city centre since it was added in 2021, celebrated the diversity and multiculturalism of Wales and in football.
The artwork appeared on the side of La Pantera restaurant in Quay Street to mark Wales' Euro 2020 campaign having been commissioned by Adidas. But now the mural has been painted over by a rugby-themed advert featuring Welsh international George North ahead of the start of the 2023 Six Nations tournament.
It is thought that the artwork has been commissioned by watch company and tournament sponsor Breitling, which last month announced a partnership with the Six Nations with several faces from each competing nation to represent the brand.
These are England’s Kyle Sinckler,Scotland’s Stuart Hogg, Wales’ George North, Ireland’s Conor Murray, former France and Italy internationals Vincent Clerc and Martín Castrogiovanni, and former Welsh international rugby union captain and presenter Sam Warburton who are all featured in the new mural.
Read more: Iconic Cardiff mural to be painted over as artists issue statement
Created by art collective Unify the 'My Cymru My Shirt' artwork had been hailed as promoting diversity and inclusivity in the city. Releasing a statement ahead of the repainting, which began at the end of January, Unify said: "Over the past 18 months the response to our My Cymru, My Shirt mural on Quay Street in Cardiff has been beyond our wildest expectations.
"As part of our photo series of the same name it has celebrated different communities, started conversations that needed to happen, promoted diversity and championed inclusivity, creating a unified sense of belonging. Originally commissioned by Adidas to coincide with the Euros back in July 2021 this part of the campaign is drawing to a close. As a result the wall is being repainted shortly and the mural is being replaced with other commissioned artwork for both commercial and community messages."
Thanking their supporters they added: "We always understood this would happen at some stage and it's amazing it's been up for 18 months, much longer than any of us expected. We have plenty of exciting projects on the horizon and look forward to sharing them with you real soon. Stay tuned!"
The repainting comes a year after the sister mural in James Street in Butetown was accidentally painted over to make way for a McDonald's advert in a move that the artists slammed as "an insult to the whole city". The artwork, featuring mother-of-two Maimuna Yoncana, originally from Guinea-Bissau, wearing a Cardiff City shirt and cradling her baby bump, became a much-loved part of the community with the repainting sparking a massive backlash against the fast food giant.
However McDonald's apologised for the move saying they were were "unaware" of the mural and had ordered for it to be repainted immediately. The artwork has since been reproduced on the side of a building on the other side of the road while a block of flats is now planned for the original site.
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