‘Dcypher-ing’ Lyttelton’s story: murals that speaks for the community

Locals and visitors to Lyttelton’s Oxford Street Reserve have plenty to feast their eyes upon as they take in the stunning and spectacular murals at the revamped skate park and playground.

Completed last month, the murals, which took around two weeks of labour intensive painting, are by Los Angeles-based Christchurch artist Dcypher, also known as Guy Ellis. They tell a visual story incorporating native plants and birds, Maori design motifs, and a Lyttelton inspired urban scene featuring a skateboarder. Dcypher had fellow DTR Crew artists – Wongi, Ikarus and Jacob Yikes – assisting him on the job.
Christchurch City Council project manager, Jon Malis, says the murals reflect the history of Lyttelton and the site and appeal directly to the youth of the area who are the primary users of the park.
The artworks are a key element of the $375,000 site upgrade, which includes extensive playground landscaping, repairs to the park’s earthquake-damaged heritage walls, and the skate park being rebuilt.
An acclaimed muralist, Dcypher’s work features in the Spectrum Street Art Show and several murals around Christchurch, along with international street art festivals, cityscapes, museums and high-profile advertising campaigns. His work has also been showcased in Brazil, New Zealand and the United States, and he was recently invited to participate in painting the World’s Largest Graffiti Wall for the Guinness Book of World Records in Dubai.
Most impressive of all however, is that the prodigiously talented Dcypher has truly hit the big time, having developed mural art works specifically for the TV shows, Sons of Anarchy, Silicon Valley and NCIS.