Writing’s on the wall
A street art festival with an ocean conservation message is set to transform the city’s public spaces.
Five storeys above the footpath on Manchester Street, a young woman is pictured wading through rising water. She’s the first sign that something big is happening in Christchurch this summer.
The towering artwork finished in December marks the arrival of Sea Signals, an ocean-focused festival running across the city from 8 to 18 February. In collaboration with ocean researchers, local and international artists will create large-scale public artworks around the city to spread the message about ocean conservation.
This first mural of the festival, freshly completed after 11 relentless days on a swaying lift, was painted by local artists Kophie Su’a-Hulsbosch (aka Meep) and Monti Masiu. Called Oku tangi mahi’a e tahi – ‘the ocean is crying’, it reflects the shared future of Ōtautahi and the Pacific, and highlights how rising rivers, seas, and groundwater will reshape Canterbury in the coming decades.
A Christchurch-based artist of Dutch and Samoan heritage, Kophie’s art has consistently centred on sustainability and social justice. But scale brings challenges.
“This is the tallest mural I’ve ever done,” she says. “The elements are the trickiest part. We had strong winds, pouring rain and sun. The gusts made the lift sway, and I’m terrified of heights anyway. I was up at the top, filling in the details of her face and cap, my hands shaking holding the spray can.”
For 11 days straight, Kophie and Monti worked from 9am to 9pm, their bodies taking the toll. The lift is hired for a fixed time, and the work has to be finished, rain or shine. “It’s hard on your shoulders, your wrists, everything aches. I’m pretty sure I’ve got some kind of repetitive strain injury,” she laughs. “The spa pool is my best friend for recovery.”
In this first mural, the central figure wades through water that feels both local and global, blending the experience of Christchurch with the Pacific islands, where climate impacts are already devastating. The message on the tote bag – “We are not drowning, we are fighting” – is a nod to the Pacific Climate Warriors, an organisation fighting for climate awareness.
“While Christchurch, as a coastal city, faces rising groundwater, flooding and erosion,” Kophie says, “island nations like Tuvalu are already experiencing the loss of ancestral lands.”
She hopes the festival sparks conversation and raises awareness. “Art is a really important and effective way of communicating complex scientific data to people who might not see it otherwise. Art has the power to interpret data in a way that you can see and feel. It’s a great way of communicating with the general public.”
Sea Signals takes place across Christchurch from 8 to 18 February. Inspired by global initiative Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, a PangeaSeed program built on the idea that “a drop of paint can create an ocean of change,” it’s organised by local street art groups Flare and Watch This Space. Go to flare.nz
