When mural artist Richard O’Gorman was told by a teacher he couldn’t draw he studied economics at university instead – but thankfully picked up a paintbrush as an adult and started spreading the joy 

We last caught up with Richard O’Gorman aka Instagram’s @househomo just after his stint on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters which didn’t end that well thanks to the contentious length of a pair of curtains. Their loss is our gain. The Birmingham mural artist works across public spaces and personal commissions creating large scale pieces to suit the location. Some days it’s a big commercial space, other days it’s somebody’s bedroom.

Last year Richard was picked to create a legacy piece for the city as part of last month’s breathtaking Birmingham Light Festival and he was cock-a-hoop with the result. Richard’s installation, Where The Trees Begin (pictured) is located in Edgbaston Village, bringing light and joy to a once dreary car park. The artist also created a story to go with the piece which viewers can access by scanning a QR code so they can listen while they absorb the artwork for a multi-sensory experience. There are even benches to relax on while viewers take it all in.

NAPKIN DOODLING

The selection process was lengthy, involving the mastermind of the Light Festival Alex Nicholson Evans as well as events OPUS (Outdoor Spaces Unusual Places) and Calthorpe Estates. When the legacy funding was announced Richard received emails highlighting the opportunity from multiple people including Alex and the people at OPUS which he saw as a sign that he should go for it.

He went out for lunch with his partner and couldn’t think about anything else. He says: “I just kept staring off into the distance and eventually I got a pen and a napkin and started drawing ideas.” Richard submitted a statement as per the process and was invited to an interview with Alex, OPUS and Calthorpe Estate’s Demi Swingler, of which he says they got on so well it didn’t feel like an interview. The list was whittled down to three artists.

Richard hadn’t worked with lighting on any sort of grand scale and thankfully the final three artists were able to chat to local firm Taylex about how their designs might come to life from a technical perspective. Richard says: “Usually as a mural artist there’s a flat wall and some paint, so it was a bit different. It was a super fast learning curve!”

Keen to ensure the piece worked in daytime as well as at night, Richard set about designing something unique. He says: “Sometimes with light installations you’re waiting for it to get dark for it to work and it looks a bit off during the day. It was important to me that it worked for both.” When Richard found out his design had been chosen, he cried. He says he’d put so much pressure on it.

BROLLIES OF BRUM

Then began the task of creating the piece. The biblical rain of January and February didn’t help but mercifully, the artwork was created indoors and transported to its resting place. Richard says: “Usually I paint onto a wall directly, so the idea was get up on a scissor lift and go for it. Thankfully we painted it indoors and transported to site. I got up on the lift to do some touch ups.” The rain didn’t keep the people of Birmingham away during the festival either. He says: “I was there every day and despite the rain, the footfall was amazing. There were a lot of brollies and hoods but it didn’t put us off.”

Richard is enjoying a well-deserved rest before he gets back to it and during our chat we reflected on how his career could have taken a very different path. He was told by one of his teachers that he was no good at art. Naturally he believed him – the teacher was in a position of power and responsibility after all.

Richard studied economics at university as it felt like a solid degree and didn’t pick up a pencil or a paint brush for years. Once he did though, there was no stopping him. What started in lockdown as a solitary yellow circle on the wall above a fireplace at home, turned into a love affair with painting and colour. Richard says: “It’s been one long exploration ever since. I love it. It’s my happy place, my therapy.”