One of eight fence panels that makes up 'the street loves nana'. This original design is painted by Ghostie.

The sewing has been completed by a cast of many - sometimes over coffee and crumpets - captured here is its growth stitch by stitch.

Here's what Ghostie says about his Great Grandmother - Ruby.

FOR RUBY

My great Grandmother Ruby owned two pugs when I was a child, Ming 1 and Ming 2. I always thought this was an oddball name but then again this was coming from a mid 90 year-old living on her own in Invercargill, still cooking on a wetback and drinking copious amounts of Beefeater [gin] every night.

She was the raw deal, so strong willed and a true battle-axe. She taught me work ethics, to push on no matter what and to stay true to yourself.

Once Ming 2 passed away, the cats came….

all those cats.

'the street loves nana' is an original idea conceived by designer Margaret Lewis to be a collaborative project between herself, NZ street artists and anyone wanting to give handcraft a go.

Technical Information: 

Fence mesh - framed by pallet timber - handsewn with wool.

Ghostie was a nickname that was given to my 3-eyed character eight years ago by fellow Dunedin street artist, Little Minx. In traditional grafitti, the letter ‘o’ is often replaced by a character, which is why I ran with the name ‘Ghøstie’.

Drawing inspiration from NZ flora and fauna, I reinterpret our natural habitat by creating complex abstracted patterns that still retain that graphic style from my character-based days.

I believe originality in one’s work is paramount as an artist. My hope is that my work will add  vibrancy and contribute culturally to the areas where I paint, and that the members of these communities take ownership and pride in the murals the street loves nana.