Beautiful mural appears on side of historic sweet factory

Bursting with colour, the vibrant design of classic sweets can be found on Sela Confectionary building on Conway Road in the Somerton area of the city.

But perhaps the building is better known as the historic Pells sweet factory, for which the mural is a celebration of.

Painted by local street artist Andy O’Rourke, the piece was commissioned in partnership with Newport City Council in a bid to reduce the amount of nuisance graffiti in the city.

Mr O’Rourke made headlines in November when he created a beautiful display celebrating urban wildlife on the side of a home in Maindee.

On a visit to the site, Mr O’Rourke told the Argus that the mural was celebrating the history of the area.

“I think a lot of people see this place as a big part of Newport’s history,” he said.

“It’s got a load of traction on social media which is really good.

“I’m a Mancunian but have lived in Newport for 30 years and I didn’t even know this place existed.

The mural has received a wave of positive comments from passers-by.

“The amount of people that have walked past and have talked about the smells from the factory and the amount of people that have worked here as well is really interesting.”

The artwork has been a huge hit on social media, with many sharing their memories of the former Pells factory.

Once the mural is complete, Mr O’Rourke intends to paint another piece on the wall of a house directly opposite the factory – which was the former Pells sweet shop.

Mr O’Rourke’s talent can be seen in various locations around Gwent, including murals at Marshfield Community Hall, Rogerstone Welfare Ground and The Grange Hospital in Cwmbran.

The work is being done in partnership with Newport City Council.

He’s said he takes inspiration from the popularity of street-art in nearby Bristol and its recent emergence in Cardiff.

Newport has seen a huge injection of street-art in recent months.

Last month the Argus reported on street-artist Paul Shepherd, who was commissioned by the council to create murals under the Shaftesbury flyover, near to the Harlequin roundabout.

Similarly, Barnabas House owner Jan Martin has recently started her own project, the ‘Art of Pill’, as she plans to create work that reflects the area’s proud history.