The real story behind Peterborough street artist’s newest and most ‘emotional’ creation

If you’ve driven into the city centre recently then chances are you will have noticed some striking new wall art from Nathan ‘Nyces’ Murdoch on the corner of Gladstone Street and Bright Street.

Measuring 82 feet wide and 30 feet high, the huge mural can be seen as far away as the railway station. Its proximity to Bourges Boulevard means it will be seen by hundreds, if not thousands, of motorists every hour.

Nathan took time out from his much deserved downtime to tell the Peterborough Telegraph what inspired him to create his “biggest solo project ever.”

“There’s a whole story behind the image in the artwork,” he said.

“It’s of Atiq Rehman and a homeless guy he met on one of his GoodDeeds24.”

As well as being the founder of the Unspoken charity, Atiq Rehman is the force behind Good Deeds24, real-time initiatives, which see him and a team of volunteers helping people improve their lives.

The image Nathan used for the mural was based on a photo taken of Atiq helping the homeless man reconnect with his sister, who he was estranged from and thought he was dead.

“It was a really powerful story about someone doing a good deed,” Nathan explained: “the message behind it ticked loads of boxes.”

Atiq’s catchphrase – which he uses on all of his Unspoken videos – also found its way into the celebrated street artist’s thinking:

“I liked his phrase ‘Hello my beautiful people’ - it’s such a nice saying; everyone can take something from it.”

This mural was something of a departure for the hugely successful artist as, unlike many of his projects these days, this one was uncommissioned.

“This was a personal project,” he noted.

Nathan explained that he had a “personal attachment” to the building the mural now covers as he used to stay over there as a child. The successful street artist, who admits he had a “challenging” childhood, did not look back on that time favourably.

“I’ve not got the greatest memories of my childhood in that building,” he says.

To return to the place and bring colour, vibrancy, hope and joy to it, was “a bit of an emotional finish” for Nathan,

“To be back in the area and create something where I spent a different time of my life - it’s surreal,” he acknowledged.

Nathan has been blown away by the response the mural has received.

“The feedback has been amazing,” he says, proudly: “I’ve had thousands of positive interactions online and I’ve had nothing but positive feedback from the area and the local community.”

“It’s nice when people support what you do.”

The talented artist – whose mission is to ”make art accessible for all” – said he was well looked after during the two weeks it took him to finish the mural.

“I ate for free every day because people just bought me food every day,” he recalls, chuckling: “doughnuts, takeaways - people just delivered food to me every day.”

He did however highlight one negative of working over the Bank Holiday weekend - the baking hot weather:

“I took a beating out there,” he laments: “my neck looks like I’ve lived in Spain for ten years.”