Guernsey street art festival returns to transform Old Quarter with marine-themed murals
- The second Guernsey Street Art Festival, titled Immersion, will run from 25 June to 5 September with a marine theme curated by artist Daniel Hosego
- Nine artists will create large-scale outdoor murals in St Peter Port's Old Quarter, with the public able to watch the creative process in real time
- A gallery exhibition at Art for Guernsey will showcase works by 15 artists whose practice is rooted in street culture
- Hundreds of children from Art for Guernsey's Summer Holiday Art Club are expected to contribute to the festival alongside local community artists
- The initiative has support from the Tourism Management Board, Social Investment Fund Guernsey and several local businesses, building on last year's successful Diversion festival
Art for Guernsey has announced the second Guernsey Street Art Festival, which will see artists transform St Peter Port's Old Quarter into a vibrant outdoor gallery this summer.
The festival, titled Immersion, will run from 25 June to 5 September, with a private view on 24 June at 6pm. Curated by renowned artist Daniel Hosego, the event builds on the success of last year's inaugural festival, Diversion, which brought large-scale street art to the area.
This year's theme explores the island's connection to the sea, inviting visitors to view Guernsey's maritime heritage through a contemporary artistic lens. Members of the public will be able to watch artists at work as they create large-scale murals in real time throughout the festival period.
Nine artists will be working on outdoor pieces: Teddy Baden, Léo Dieleman, Luke Gallie, Joe Gaudion, Tim Gaudion, Daniel Hosego, Charlie Mcfarley, Nic Roussel and Luke Webb. Their work will animate Mansell Street and the surrounding Old Quarter.
Alongside the outdoor installations, the Art for Guernsey Gallery at 4-6 Mansell Street will host an exhibition featuring works by 15 artists: 616, Teddy Baden, Will Barras, Patrick Bremer, Léo Dieleman, Matt Dosa, Glen Fox, Joe Gaudion, Tim Gaudion, Chin Keeler, Licea, Charlie Mcfarley, Finn Stone, Woodie and Xenz.
The project will also involve additional artists from the local community, with hundreds of children attending Art for Guernsey's Summer Holiday Art Club expected to contribute their own work to the festival.
Art for Guernsey believes that art and culture play a crucial role in revitalising urban spaces and stimulating the tourism economy. The charity argues that investing in art fosters community pride, supports local businesses and benefits related sectors such as hospitality and retail.
David Ummels, chairman and founder of Art for Guernsey, said: "Following the resounding success of last year, and considering the huge impact that 'Diversion' had in terms of visually rejuvenating the Old Quarter, inspiring our community and entertaining the island's visitors, we felt inspired to turn this initiative into a perennial festival. Expect the Guernsey Street Art Festival to go from strength to strength over the years, for everyone's enjoyment."
The festival has received support from several organisations including the Tourism Management Board, Social Investment Fund Guernsey, DLM Architects, Network Insurance, Zenzero and Norman Piette.
The participating artists bring diverse backgrounds and styles to the festival. London-based Daniel Hosego, who is curating the event, creates detailed hand-drawn compositions influenced by Renaissance art and contemporary philosophy, which he reworks through modern printmaking techniques.
Paris-based Léo Dieleman works in acrylic and spray paint, drawing inspiration from architecture, street art, pop culture and nature, with a particular affinity for plants and marine animals — making him well-suited to this year's maritime theme.
Teddy Baden is known for playful and humorous depictions of dogs and often exhibits in unconventional venues. Will Barras, another London-based artist, helped shape the Bristol street art scene as a founding member of the Scrawl collective and has exhibited across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Local talent also features. Joe Gaudion is a young Guernsey artist whose first exhibited work made an immediate impression with a dramatic portrait influenced by street art. His work represents emerging talent in the island's creative scene.
Tim Gaudion, also based in Guernsey, is known for paintings and book cover illustrations. He serves as creative director of Visual Education and is actively involved in the community, helping to run the surf club and skate park.
Luke Gallie is a Guernsey-based artist and tattooist who has been involved in live body art performances, showcasing skills in black and shade tattooing. Nic Roussel is another local contemporary artist active in the creative community who was involved in the Guernsey Skatepark project.
Luke Webb, perhaps best known as a reporter for Bailiwick Express, also pursues creative projects including creative writing, graphic design and camera operation. He has advocated for public art initiatives, emphasising their cultural, social and economic benefits.
Woodie, also known as STER-ONE-1, grew up in Oxfordshire but has lived in Guernsey for more than a decade. A tattoo artist known for public art pieces and mural works, he enjoys working on different scales and collaborating with others.
The gallery exhibition will feature additional artists from further afield. Matt Dosa is a London-based artist whose work evolved from lettering and cartoon imagery into bold abstract paintings and large-scale murals. After an accident left him using a wheelchair, he has described making art as a vital source of strength and purpose.
Glen Fox is a Jersey-born artist and professional skateboarder known for bold, intricate artworks that blend abstract forces, faces and layered line work. He describes his work as spontaneous, detailed and full of hidden surprises.
Patrick Bremer's work predominantly focuses on the figure and portraiture in collage. He is a recipient of the DeLazlo Foundation Award for his portraiture from The Royal Society of Portrait Painters and lives and works in West Somerset on the edge of Exmoor.
Paris-based Licea creates paintings, murals and street art exploring nature, dreams and the emotional tension between the wild and the human world. The practice is rooted in reflection on our connection to nature and the shifting roles of predator and prey in contemporary life.
Chin Keeler is a London-based artist who works collaboratively with Emma Tornero under the name KEELERTORNERO, creating paintings and collages in a playful, dreamlike style. He also makes solo paintings and drawings and is involved in creative workshops and visual work for film and television.
Charlies Mcfarley, a Hackney native, grew up in 1980s London where the eclectic energy of his urban environment shaped his artistic journey. He has exhibited in numerous acclaimed shows in the UK, including a recent group exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. From his Minehead studio he continues his painting practice and designs large-scale community and commercial murals whilst also leading regular art workshops for local youth.
Finn Stone is a British contemporary artist and designer known for playful, eccentric works that include sculpture, painting and design. He first became known for his fibreglass furniture, including the widely sold Ball Chair, before expanding into one-off sculptural pieces and mixed-media artworks.
Xenz was born in Hull and lives in London. The British street artist and painter began making graffiti as a teenager. His work has evolved from graffiti into dreamlike landscapes and atmospheric scenes inspired by nature, memory and urban life.
The artist known as 616 works primarily with acrylic on reclaimed materials, including found wood and vinyl records. Influenced by nature, travel and rave culture, the abstract work draws inspiration from organic patterns found within leaves. Rooted in a background of resourcefulness and street culture, the practice transforms discarded materials into expressive, layered compositions.
The festival aims to give visitors a reason to keep returning to the Old Quarter throughout the summer as Mansell Street is progressively transformed into a street art canvas.
Q&A
Q: When does the Guernsey Street Art Festival take place?
A: The festival runs from Thursday 25 June to Saturday 5 September, with a private view on Wednesday 24 June at 6pm.
Q: Where can people view the artworks?
A: Large-scale murals will be created in St Peter Port's Old Quarter, particularly on Mansell Street, whilst a gallery exhibition will be held at Art for Guernsey Gallery at 4-6 Mansell Street.
Q: Who is organising the festival?
A: Art for Guernsey, a charitable initiative, is organising the festival. It is curated by renowned artist Daniel Hosego and has support from the Tourism Management Board, Social Investment Fund Guernsey and several local businesses.
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