Our youth-led radio station Radio Platfform recently unveiled a vibrant new mural at their Cardiff studio to celebrate their history since their very first broadcast at Festival of Voice in 2016.
We spoke with the designer of the mural, Sahar Saki, an award-winning Iranian artist and designer based in Cardiff, about the design process.
How did you get involved with painting the mural?
The team at Radio Platfform picked a few artists and I was one of them. I went for a meeting, and I was the final artist.
How was the design created? Was it led by you or a collaboration with Radio Platfform?
I had a breakdown brief of what they wanted to include in the mural, like the years and the history of the radio station, also some suggestions about the design, but I had total freedom to come up with a visual solution.
I made two sketches and then they picked one, they asked for some changes, and we had the final design after two days of sketching.
How long did it take to paint?
I had to prep the boards, so I needed to sand and then prime them with a white coat. It took me a day to finish that. Then I projected the design on the boards with a projector and that was technically very complicated as we had four separate boards and I needed to split the design carefully also considering the real size of the wall. After transferring the design on the boards, I had to paint them, and it took me about two days to finish all the details and line works.
How long is a process like this usually? From initial brief to completing the work?
I can split the work between researching, designing and painting. The whole process normally takes a week to complete.
Tell us about the colours and style.
I tried to use very bold vibrant colours and design a very abstract illustration that was dynamic but representing the history of the radio station at the same time.
What are your thoughts on the finished piece?
It was a great journey working with the team, learning about their path and what they are representing. The artwork changed a few times during different stages of the design and development, and I enjoyed seeing the youth team getting involved in the process.
How does it feel knowing that your work will be seen by, and inspire, the young people of South Wales in Wales Millennium Centre?
I have been making so many murals indoors and outdoors and it always feels amazing to leave a mark in a space and knowing that my work will communicate with others while I am not there. I would be happy knowing that my mural will be a reminder of what young people are doing in the station and make them proud of themselves.
