Mind Garden by Laura Sheldon for the Forth Lane Urban Gallery
Creative Central NCL is thrilled to unveil its latest project: the Forth Lane Urban Gallery, a brand-new artistic hub featuring six talented artists, all inspired by the theme Pleasure Garden. In collaboration with Newcastle Arts Centre, Project North East, and NE1, this initiative breathes fresh life into the historic Forth Lane, bringing creativity and colour to the heart of the city.
Meet the Artists
- Chris Fleming, a stencil artist, will create two large-scale portraits of Newcastle residents with bright, vibrant headpieces inspired by nature, flora and fauna.
- Glenn Malpass, a street artist specialising in graffiti commissions, will create a large-scale mural spreading out along Forth Lane inspired by the Lane’s historic approach to the original Forth Pleasure Garden. Art direction for this piece is by Mark One87.
- Jed Buttress, an award-winning investigative artist, will create a 3D wall mural that resembles historical carvings inspired by the city.
- Laura Sheldon (SHELDO) will create a striking mural inspired by Victorian pleasure gardens with a bold, modern twist.
- Rebecca Purnell will create a piece depicting ordinary people of Newcastle becoming one with nature, limbs twisting around trees and faces peeping out from the foliage.
- Tallulah Lines will create a bright, bold, magical, and surreal piece inspired by the freedom and joy of nature and the outdoors.
Forth Lane Urban Gallery
This project is part of Creative Central NCL, a £1.7 million investment by the North East Combined Authority and Newcastle City Council to make central Newcastle a vibrant centre for creativity and culture.
We can’t wait for you to experience this colourful transformation later this month!
About the artists
Chris Fleming is a stencil artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne. He draws and cuts stencils by hand and has been doing so for around 15 years. His murals can be found across the UK as well as Europe. His work mainly involves portraits and is often celebrating Queer history and excellence.
Glenn Malpass, street artist Glenn’s work fuses styles and visual tropes from an early obsession with 90s cartoons and animation. Bold linework juxtaposed against simple forms and vivid palettes, the aim is to spread a little bit of joy each day to anyone who happens upon his work. Having navigated his way into the North East Art scene over the past decade, he intends to spread this joy and light-hearted subject matter as much as possible and as often as possible to a region that (he believes) is on its way to becoming one of the most thriving places in the country, both culturally and socially.
MarkOne87 is a freelance creative based in Newcastle upon Tyne, specialising in Mural and Graffiti art. Co-founder of Elements Street Art Festival and has provided art direction to Glenn Malpass.
Jed Buttress is an award-winning investigative artist who works predominantly in sculpture, installation, and digital media. He combines an interest in science and psychogeography with a dark sense of humor and has exhibited in galleries across the country alongside Antony Gormley and Lubaina Himid.
Laura Sheldon aka SHELDO is a Designer & Illustrator from Newcastle. Her work takes inspiration from Art Deco, Psychadelia and nature. She has extensive experience providing Graphic Design & Illustration for the entertainment, culture, social and independent sectors. Working with an eclectic client list which include Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mind Charity, Canal & River Trust, Brewdog and the NHS to name a few. She is passionate about creating distinctive, personal imagery that is socially conscious. She enjoys learning new skills through collaboration and challenges. When Laura is not being creative, you will find her down the front of a gig watching her favourite bands.
Rebecca Purnell is a bespoke picture framer in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Born In Wales she has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Northumbria University and lives in Northumberland. She has completed many public and private commissions ranging from sprawling ceiling murals in large restaurants to colourful textured abstracts in acrylics and more intimate pencil portraits.
Tallulah Lines is a self-taught visual artist with a decade of experience in muralism. Tallulah has painted murals individually and as part of the feminist collective Las RestaurAmoras in various parts of Latin America and the UK. She is deeply inspired by the visual, social and political culture of Mexico, where she has lived off and on for the last seven years. Tallulah incorporates many elements of this in her visual language, but since moving back to the UK in 2023 is focused on reconnecting with her English roots and blending facets of both cultures in her practice. She combines her practice with her work as a researcher at the University of York, where she researches the role of art in building security in response to violence against women, and the relationship between art and human rights.
