What is it about painting murals that you enjoy?
Painting large scale is really fun, you get to have a lot of impact with your work. It’s super challenging too because there are so many moving parts to a mural – you change locations, you have time to interact with people in the public, but it’s also a solo practice.
There’s a huge social element to painting in public too, you’re creating something in a space that people interact with, and it’s so beautiful to see.
What made you want to create a mural in Wellington?
I was born here in Te-Whanganui-a-tara and grew up in Raumati, so Wellington is definitely home for me.
My dad Leon Kiel was a sculptural stone mason, so he did a lot of installations around the waterfront. He installed and created a lot of rock installations for Waitangi Park and things around town. He died around 14 years ago, so it’s special for me to be creating public works. There’s definitely a connection to him, because I grew up around him and his work. That’s something I’ve been thinking about with this mural.