CULTURE
For the past four years, British artist Tash Frootko has been painting the facades of some of her city’s rundown and neglected buildings, transforming them into a rainbow of colours. So far, she’s finished 25 houses in Gloucester, painting her way into residents’ hearts.
Frootko is on a mission to inject colour into her city, which she believes has garnered a negative impression over the years. “I see Gloucester as a huge blank canvas . . . and see potential in everything,” says the 42-year-old, who has lived in the riverside city for the past two decades. “Rows of Victorian terraced houses look sublime when painted in bold and vivid colours. It brings them back to life after being allowed to become drab and soulless. People will now refer to this area of the city as the Rainbow Square — and it’s the most colourful square in the country.”
Three adjoining streets to the Square are now connected by two murals by local artists Zoe Power and Eloise Henderson-Figueroa. “The artwork is evolving as now we have huge pieces of artworks linking the rows of colourful terraced houses,” Frootko says. “The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. All generations and cultures are enjoying what I do and asking me to continue on and transform rundown parts of the city. It is such an honour to improve the look of the city for its residents and visitors. Everyone deserves to live in a wonderful environment and to love where they live,” she concludes.
TOP Gloucester houses painted by Tash Frootko
ABOVE Rainbow Square mural
PHOTOS SWNS