A hidden lane in Cardiff has been transformed with street art, bringing joy to local residents. Colourful and whimsical murals adorn the alleyway behind Shirley Road in Roath, exploring a variety of universal themes, like community, nature and connection.
One of the paintings even depicts some of the residents themselves who live on the street. Artist Alex Pawson is the main driver of the project, which started during the Covid pandemic. "I've always like drawing and painting and then about ten years ago, when I was abroad, I started painting on walls. I really liked that and just kept going from there," said Alex, 35, who is originally from London.
He moved to Cardiff three years ago and started working as a support worker, first in a community house, then in a psychiatric hospital, looking after people with autism, learning difficulties, challenging behaviours or mental illness. When the lockdown hit in 2020, he was searching for activities to keep the people he worked with entertained.
