ENTWINED MURAL BY JOLIEN DE WAYLE ON THE NEWTOWNARDS ROAD
ENTWINED MURAL BY JOLIEN DE WAYLE [ ON THE NEWTOWNARDS ROAD IN BELFAST]
Entwined: A New Visual Narrative on the Newtownards Road
For those documenting the evolving built environment of East Belfast, the corner of Newtownards Road and East Bread Street offers a fresh, compelling visual statement. Just metres from the Connswater Pocket Park, a recent mural stands as a direct, powerful commentary on the area’s industrial soul.
As one of the newest additions to the Holywood Arches streetscape, the piece, titled "Entwined", functions not just as decoration, but as a site-specific historical marker.
The Art and the Artist
The mural is the work of Kitsune Jolene (Jolien De Waele), a Belgian street artist whose style blends photorealism with an emotive, sometimes dream-like quality. Her portraiture often uses symbolism to convey deeper community narratives, and "Entwined" is no exception. It immediately draws the eye away from the surrounding urban clutter, focusing attention on a powerful central image that contrasts sharply with the grey utilitarianism of the street.
The Visual History of the Connswater Area
Standing on the wall of the Pack & Send building, the artwork acts as a concise historical ledger for the Newtownards Road. It visualises the very industries that shaped the community now navigating post-industrial transition:
The Rope: The central feature—a thick, white, coarse rope—is an unmistakable reference to the Belfast Ropeworks. This factory, which once lay a stone’s throw from the mural site, dictated the rhythm of life for generations of local families.
The Flowers: Intertwined with the rope are delicate purple flax flowers. This subtle detail connects the piece to the other industrial giant of the area: the linen industry. The flax was processed in mills like the nearby Portview Trade Centre, completing the picture of East Belfast's economic foundations.
A Study in Community Ties
The core concept of "Entwined" is the tight binding of hands by these industrial materials. This is not a passive scene but a depiction of an active, historical connection. It symbolises the tight-knit community that was forged in the heat and labour of the mills and the ropeworks. The mural suggests that while the factories are gone, the shared experience and heritage remain inextricably woven into the fabric of life along the Newtownards Road.
By using public art to reflect this industrial past, Kitsune Jolene has provided a contemporary layer of narrative to the built environment. It compels viewers—whether long-time residents or urban observers—to look past the current dereliction and regeneration efforts, and to acknowledge the foundation upon which this neighbourhood was built.
Entwined: A New Visual Narrative on the Newtownards Road
For those documenting the evolving built environment of East Belfast, the corner of Newtownards Road and East Bread Street offers a fresh, compelling visual statement. Just metres from the Connswater Pocket Park, a recent mural stands as a direct, powerful commentary on the area’s industrial soul.
As one of the newest additions to the Holywood Arches streetscape, the piece, titled "Entwined", functions not just as decoration, but as a site-specific historical marker.
The Art and the Artist
The mural is the work of Kitsune Jolene (Jolien De Waele), a Belgian street artist whose style blends photorealism with an emotive, sometimes dream-like quality. Her portraiture often uses symbolism to convey deeper community narratives, and "Entwined" is no exception. It immediately draws the eye away from the surrounding urban clutter, focusing attention on a powerful central image that contrasts sharply with the grey utilitarianism of the street.
The Visual History of the Connswater Area
Standing on the wall of the Pack & Send building, the artwork acts as a concise historical ledger for the Newtownards Road. It visualises the very industries that shaped the community now navigating post-industrial transition:
The Rope: The central feature—a thick, white, coarse rope—is an unmistakable reference to the Belfast Ropeworks. This factory, which once lay a stone’s throw from the mural site, dictated the rhythm of life for generations of local families.
The Flowers: Intertwined with the rope are delicate purple flax flowers. This subtle detail connects the piece to the other industrial giant of the area: the linen industry. The flax was processed in mills like the nearby Portview Trade Centre, completing the picture of East Belfast's economic foundations.
A Study in Community Ties
The core concept of "Entwined" is the tight binding of hands by these industrial materials. This is not a passive scene but a depiction of an active, historical connection. It symbolises the tight-knit community that was forged in the heat and labour of the mills and the ropeworks. The mural suggests that while the factories are gone, the shared experience and heritage remain inextricably woven into the fabric of life along the Newtownards Road.
By using public art to reflect this industrial past, Kitsune Jolene has provided a contemporary layer of narrative to the built environment. It compels viewers—whether long-time residents or urban observers—to look past the current dereliction and regeneration efforts, and to acknowledge the foundation upon which this neighbourhood was built.
THE ART AND THE ARTIST