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8 July 2024

Exposed Magazine

Sheffield-based street artist Peachzz recently completed her stunning ‘Reverie’ piece on the side of the Cubo building. Overlooking the newly installed Pound’s Park, the five-storey mural celebrates the city’s unique blend of intersecting urban life and natural beauty. 

Known for vibrant and expressive use of colour, Peachzz has become a well-known figure in the street art community, injecting life into walls across the globe. Following the completion of her largest work to date, the artist took the time to speak to Exposed Mag about her creative journey so far.

When did you first start getting involved in art?
I’ve pretty much always drawn and painted. I’d remember being at my grandma’s when I was young, and I was inspired by her initially because we’d sit down and do creative things together. 

So, I’ve always wanted to be an artist. Actually, I wanted to be a vet first but found out I was allergic to animals, so that went down the pan! I carried on with art but couldn’t quite find my medium for a while. I was drawing in black and white a lot, just because I was comfortable with it, but I couldn’t really find something that gelled with me.

That’s interesting as your murals today are known for vibrant splashes of colour. When did that change?
I studied illustration and graphics at Sheffield, which was really useful, and in my final year, a friend asked if I’d like to go spray painting. I’d done a little bit before and watched a few people doing it, but I remember thinking, “That looks impossible!” At the time, there was a lot of abandoned buildings we could use for practice, particularly around the back of Niche [Nightclub] in the city centre, and a group of us would go, sometimes two or three times a week as we were that into it. I didn’t expect I’d have a career out of it; I just really enjoyed the community. 

The deeper I got into street art, attending various jams, I became more addicted to it. Things slowly grew from somebody offering to pay me to paint a mural for them, and then after a while, there was enough work for it to become feasible for me to quit my job and paint. It’s still mind-blowing to me now!

When I first went into a shop to buy spray paint, it was like being a kid in a sweet shop. There are all these cans lined up and some of the most vibrant colour palettes you could imagine. That was obviously influential in going from one extreme to the other. Bright colours make me happy because you can see the positive effect it can have on people and spaces. It’s important for me to bring wildlife and bright colours into concrete spaces, as it’s nice to be reminded about what you can find outside or close to urban city spaces. 

“When I first went into a shop to buy spray paint, it was like being a kid in a sweet shop.” Photo: Faye Cooper // @streetartatlas

I suppose it also links nicely to those early aspirations of becoming a vet!
Yeah! I love animals and nature. I think I went through a period where I really struggled to know what I wanted to paint. That can be a difficult place to be as an artist, and you can overthink and really get into your head about it. But I think, at the end of the day, it’s important to go back to painting things you enjoy and developing it from there. I remember painting a bird, using loads of textures and moving away from straight lines, and I really enjoyed the process; I could be looser and more expressive with it.  

Sheffield’s a good spot for nature and wildlife inspiration, too. Do you ever just take yourself for a walk in the Peaks when you’re having a bit of a creative block?
I like to spend as much time in nature as I can. These days, I like to paint things that are in keeping with where the mural is going. If I’ve not experienced a place before, I’ll do the research before and take the time to explore. I want people in the community to relate to what’s going on the wall.

I don’t just paint nature scenes, though. I got a portrait grant from the Arts Council, which gave me time to learn more about street art, and it was such an amazing experience and led to my process changing. I wanted to move more into storytelling and felt that if I could paint a portrait, I could paint anything. I feel more confident now. 

The deeper I got into street art, attending various jams, I became more addicted to it.

Reverie, your mural on the side of the Cubo building, looks incredible and has received a lot of love from Sheffielders. How did that come about?
I was contacted by Festival of the Outdoors, and they wanted a mural to celebrate the city. They wanted something based around the nature of Sheffield – specifically the canal systems. They gave me quite a free brief, due to me typically being a wildlife artist. I love jobs like that, especially because it was such a big wall. I had to include a heron in Sheffield – they’re one of my favourite things to paint. 

While I’ve got the chance, I’d like to give a biggup to fellow artist Enso (@enso.enso.enso) who was amazing and a massive help to me during that whole process. I’d also like to thank sprayplant.co.uk, Rowland Scaffolding and Apollo Cradles for their support.

‘Reverie has brightened up the Pound’s Park in Sheffield city centre. Photo: Faye Cooper // @streetartatlas

How is the process of going from painting small-scale pieces to huge murals covering the side of buildings?
It’s a very slow process of learning. There aren’t really a huge number of options for formal training in spray painting; you kind of learn from other people who might take you under their wing a bit. There’s a lot of giving and receiving knowledge involved, which is one of the reasons why I like it so much. 

You’ve painted walls across the globe. Where’s been your favourite place so far? And is there a dream place you’d love to make your mark on?
I went to Columbia in 2017, and it was one of the most magical places I’ve visited. The people were amazing, and I was so sad when I had to leave. In Mexico, I went to a street art festival called Akumal Arts Festival, which was incredible, and I’ve been back a few times since. I’ve been obsessed with street art festivals as soon as I knew they were a thing about a year after I started painting. I was applying to them as it’s a valuable way to experience different pockets of culture. Experiencing different cultures is really important for my work, especially when painting portraits, as you can feel really connected to people you meet while travelling. 

In terms of a place where I’d love to paint a mural, that’s a tough one. Thailand is somewhere I haven’t been before that I’d like to experience, and they have a couple of street art festivals that I’d love to go to.  

“Bright colours make me happy because you can see the positive effect it can have on people and spaces.” Photo: Faye Cooper // @streetartatlas

While we’re on the topic of street art festivals, you’ve linked up with fellow Sheffield artist Alastair Flindall (@neckofthewoodsstudio) to create Lick of Paint – Sheffield’s first ever street art and mural festival. How are preparations for that coming along?
The response so far has been amazing, and we’ve had loads of people get in touch to get involved in some capacity. We’ve done workshops and collaborated with Get Together Festival, which featured @ellespaint doing some incredible live street art. Elle also did the incredible Joan of Arc portrait at the bottom of London Road. 

I’ve been attending street art festivals for ten years, and I’ve truly witnessed the joy and impact they bring. Through public involvement, I’ve had deeply personal moments with people in various cities, connecting through art. It’s left a lasting impression on me. I’ve wanted to organise a festival in Sheffield for about eight years now. This event will feature workshops and be very community-driven. It’s for Sheffield, not for me or Alastair, but for the city. We’re excited to introduce more public art because we believe art should be accessible to everyone. You don’t have to visit a fancy gallery; you can just take a walk outside.

See more of the artist’s work on socials: @_peachzz_. For more information on Sheffield’s Lick of Paint festival, follow @lickofpaintfest.