Bruno Patron’s poignant ‘Peace Wall’ exhibition on display in Armagh

Bruno Patron A Bessbrook-based artist is in Armagh to display his 30 ft tall painting of how the Peace Wall on Cupar Way in Belfast looked prior to the graffiti being removed in 2019. Bruno Patron, who was a graffiti artist as a teenager in London, became fascinated by the assortment of art on the Peace Wall in 2017. He became frustrated that the entire wall was not visible in one view, which inspired him to paint an accurate depiction of the way it looked prior to August 2019. Bruno is showcasing his Cupar Way painting, alongside his wider Troubles-themed portfolio, in the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre in Armagh from Monday, July 22 to Saturday, September 7. The exhibition is being run in conjunction with the John Hewitt Society, an organisation set up to provide opportunities for individuals to explore issues of identity and difference through literature, arts and culture. One of Northern Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations, the Cupar Way Peace Wall was the first to be built in Belfast during the Troubles, to separate the Protestant and Catholic communities amid serious violence. The half-a-mile long wall remains in existence to this day, and is covered with...