A brand-new public artwork has been unveiled in Salford by renowned street-artist AkseP19 in collaboration with Emmaus Salford.
AkseP19, famed for his large-scale photo-realistic portraits, completed the new mural of revered humanitarian Abbé Pierre on one of Emmaus Salford’s sleeping pods. Emmaus Salford supports people who have experienced homelessness by providing a home, meaningful work and an opportunity for people to regain self-esteem to help rebuild their lives.
The mural pays homage to Abbé Pierre, a visionary French Catholic priest who founded the first Emmaus community in 1949. He helped to establish more Emmaus communities across France and abroad, establishing an international solidarity-based movement, acting against poverty and social injustice.
By immortalising Abbé Pierre’s portrait on one of Emmaus Salford’s sleeping pods, the charity hopes to amplify the message of compassion, solidarity, and social justice.
Jackie Smith, Chief Executive of Emmaus Salford, said: “We are in awe of this stunning artwork. The additional element of the Abbe Pierre quote is a constant daily reminder of the importance of small acts of kindness, which we aim to demonstrate in our daily acts of solidarity in supporting the community here at Emmaus Salford. The project has been in development for some time and we are extremely grateful for the patience and commitment from AkseP19 to create this amazing portrait. We hope that locals, customers, passers-by and our companions take delight in its presence, and have received very positive feedback from everyone who has seen it so far.”
Acclaimed street artist AkseP19 is well known for his photo-realistic portraits of pop culture icons on buildings across Greater Manchester and beyond. He has previously completed large-scale murals of iconic figures including Emmeline Pankhurst, Marcus Rashford, Ian Curtis and Victoria Wood.
Emmaus Salford’s sleeping pod has recently gone through a series of refurbishments as part of University of Salford’s Energy House 2.0 project. The charity plan to use the pod in a versatile way at their current site, from temporary accommodation to isolation areas and office space.
The sleeping pod mural is available to view in the carpark of Emmaus Salford’s Community Homestore at Emmaus House, 101 Fitzwarren Street, Salford M6 5RQ.