Leeds murals

As our camera club group were wandering through Leeds finding sculptures, I also noticed and snapped quite a few murals. I've shown the 'You & Me' one above before but it's quite striking (and I needed a landscape orientated picture for the initial one in the post as that works better on social media!) It's by Anthony Burrill. Though it was conceived well before the world shut down due to the Covid pandemic, it was unveiled in 2021 and stands as an apt memorial to that strange period when we needed each other and yet were forced apart. 

I loved the joy and colour in the one below. It's a Pride mural on the side of the Bridge Bar, created by an artist called Karl Leeds.

'Speak Up' to end violence against women and girls is a relatively new mural, created in 2023 by Harriett Wood on the side of a resource centre for the vulnerable and homeless. It's bold, bright and vibrant, despite the additional graffiti now added to it! 

As you approach Leeds rail station you're greeted by 'Athena Rising'. Created in 2017, it's said to be the UK's tallest mural at 153 feet high. It was created by a duo of Manchester-based artists called Nomad Clan. It features owls, which are one of the key symbols of Leeds.

Owls also feature on this much older bas-relief on Leeds Bridge. It's the city's coat of arms, dating back to 1660. I assume it was added when the iron bridge over the Aire was constructed in the early 1870s. The owls come from the coat of arms of Sir John Savile, the first Alderman of Leeds. The three stars are a reference to Sir Thomas Danby, first Mayor of Leeds, and the fleece alludes to the city's wool industry. The motto, Pro Rege Et Lege, means 'For King and the law'. There are owls all over the city and you can follow a trail to find them all.