Street artist brings splash of colour to Cork town with vibrant murals

A 21-year-old creative is bringing a splash of colour to the town of Passage West with a series of vibrant murals.

The latest piece completed by street artist Jamie Howard aka “Raok1” is a large-scale mural on the gable end of the three-storey iconic Shamrock Stores inspired by Cork Harbour and the rich seafaring history of Passage West.

Titled Home, this scenic addition to the town took five days to complete, and was made possible by Cork County Council through the Streetscape Enhancement Scheme.

Passage West Creates, a local craft shop run by a collective of crafters and artists from Cork Harbour, put forward the application.

Jamie is currently a student of Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT).

He has been practicing and studying street art and fine art for the past eight years.

The street art commission at The Shamrock Stores is one of a series of works undertaken by the young Passage West native in the harbour town in recent months.

He has also painted a flowing wave mural on Passage West Pharmacy, a sailboat scene at Passage Point Shop, and contributed to the artwork on the near-by ‘Cut and Cover’ railway tunnel in Monkstown, which was commissioned by Cork County Council as part of Project ACT, the Council’s initiative to support the economic and social recovery of towns and villages.

“It is an incredible honour to be able to transform blank canvases in my home town of Passage West into works of art,” Jamie said.

“I am hugely inspired by the beautiful seascape of where we live and wanted to capture that — the waves, boats and the harbour — through the use of vibrant colours and free-form work.

“It has been an incredible few months and I thank Cork County Council and the businesses and people of Passage West for their support for allowing me to bring my vision into reality.”