Brilliant Botanicals Murals, Stoke-on-Trent

Tell us about the project

As part of the Brilliant Bamboo programme, artists Rob Fenton and Reiko Kaneko created two striking new murals in Stoke-on-Trent, celebrating the city’s ceramic heritage and the creative potential of bamboo.

Gemma Thomas, director of Brilliant Bamboo, worked closely with both artists throughout the project – from setting the brief together to shaping ideas and collaborating through feedback.

She said: “We set out to do more than just create something visually impressive. We wanted to celebrate the city’s story, connect it with the future potential of bamboo and stay true to our values around sustainability and community.”

The project had several aims:

•To create beautiful, thoughtful public artworks

•To offer a fresh perspective on the city’s artistic and industrial heritage

•To link local ceramic history to Brilliant Bamboo’s ongoing exploration of bamboo as a creative, sustainable material

•To champion more environmentally responsible approaches to public art

Reiko’s mural, alongside the canal in Stoke, features a bold, oversized bamboo design. Rob’s mural, close to the historic former Spode factory, was inspired by Chinoiserie patterns from the pottery firm’s archive. The two murals share visual motifs and a coordinated colour palette, creating a sense of cohesion across locations.

Why did you choose KEIM Mineral Paints?

Gemma and Rob were determined to choose materials that aligned with the values of Brilliant Bamboo.

Rob, who is well-known for his large-scale murals, said: “I learned that paint makes up 53 per cent of microplastics globally – that blew my mind. It made me realise how important it is to be more conscious of what we’re putting into our buildings and the environment.”

The team selected KEIM mineral paints for their technical performance, environmental credentials and suitability for historic brickwork.

Rob added: “I hadn’t used KEIM before, but the more I learned the more I realised how perfect it was for this project. We were delivering murals on historic brickwork, and traditional acrylics can flake. KEIM mineral paints penetrate the surface and allow the bricks to breathe – it’s an organic product in an organic location.”

What do you think of our paints?

Both artists were new to mineral paints and had to adapt their usual techniques, something they embraced as part of the creative process. They also decided to share colours across the two murals to avoid waste and ensure they didn’t over-order paint.

Rob said: “The drying time was incredible – I had to completely rethink how I worked, and fortunately the Keim team are really knowledgeable about their products. Bryan talked me through the dos and don’ts, such as not mixing the paints with water on the wall.”

Reiko, who usually works in ceramics and mineral inks, was similarly taken with the results. Although this was her first public mural, she quickly became confident and excited when working with KEIM paints and introduced the idea of incorporating gold into the two designs.

What excites you about our colours?

From golden highlights glinting in the sun, to the earthy, natural tones that echoed ceramic glazes and the local environment, the colour choices helped to tie the project to its place and its purpose.

Rob said: “You get a real glimmer from the gold as you drive past – it’s a beautiful colour. No other company that I am aware of does a metallic as vibrant as this. When I opened the drum it looked like real gold, like melted bullion.

Gemma added: “Putting the metallics with the earthy tones was when the project came together. It will be interesting to see how it continues to weather, but we feel it will keep its richness because of the quality of the paint.”

A lasting impact

KEIM paints will continue to play a key role if Brilliant Bamboo extends the Brilliant Botanicals project to create more murals.

Gemma said: “This project brought together several of the things we care about most – beauty, sustainability and place. It shows how public art can be joyful, thoughtful and values-led.

“As a company we can’t compromise on our values and the ethos of the project, and if it expands, we’ll be advising future artists to use KEIM.”

Rob added: “It’s slightly more expensive, but it’s absolutely worth it. I’ll definitely be using KEIM again, and I’ll be talking to more clients about it. The actual product is phenomenal and the company was great to work with.

“This big project was a learning curve for me but I am very proud of what we created together. It would have looked very different if we had used a traditional masonry paint.”