Bland power boxes now sport colourful kingfishers, monarch butterflies, and cows wearing sunglasses, and a woman surrounded by hibiscus flowers and fish representing Papatūānuku covers the wall on Masonic Lane.
There’s now a typical Kiwi holiday scene on Barbeque BOI’s building, and a huge tūī and kererū on Hospice Mid-Northland’s building on Hobson Ave.
“I feel driven to do it,” Pearce said.
“Sometimes I wonder why, when I’m battling all the weather elements trying to get it done.
“It’s basically just to brighten up the world; there’s enough chaos going on in our world right now.
“It has such a positive impact on people.
“People are coming up to me the whole time sharing their support – people from all walks of life.”
Kerikeri Laundry Services owner Michelle Poole was getting fed up with tagging on the wall by her business.
After the fourth time she was approached by a trio of local lads – who call themselves Creative Can Control – asking if they could create a street art mural.
The mural merges their artist names and a huge washing machine monster with soap suds.
“They came into the laundry and said ‘would you mind if we put street art on there, it could take care of the tagging’, and I said ‘yeah’,” Poole said.
“I said I’d have to ask the landlord and he said, ‘Michelle go for it’.
“I absolutely love it.
“It’s nice to have different art round Kerikeri and I’ve had nothing but great comments about it.”
Creative Can Control artist Taru Hedger, his mate Miles Toto and another friend created this street art mural on the Kerikeri Laundry Services building.
Creative Can Control artist Taru Hedger, his mate Miles Toto and another friend have been leaving their mark around Northland for a while.
A house-painter by trade, Hedger also worked with Hone Tiatoa from Impact Northland on the Kerikeri skate ramp as part of the Far North District Council’s Kerikeri Domain Revitalisation Project.
“I started as a teenager; last year I did some mural workshops with Moerewa school, and that kickstarted Creative Can Control.
“We’ve just been putting ourselves out there, doing a few murals over the last year.”
Hedger and co have also completed artworks at Club Physical gym in Kaitāia, a tyre shop in Awanui, and a Coopers Beach hairdressers.
“It’s a passion of ours. We’ve enjoyed graffiti art our whole lives.
“We enjoy bringing something bright and new to Northland, and it’s another thing to put our creativity to.”
Taru Hedger and Hone Tiatoa worked on the Kerikeri skate ramp for the Kerikeri Domain Revitalisation Project.
Two of Pearce’s murals have been commissioned by Our Kerikeri Charitable Trust.
Chairwoman Annika Dickey said they brighten up the town.
“Erika’s art is beautiful … it resonates well with a lot of the community.
“It’s cool to see the momentum building, and the growth of public art.”
Pearce, who has painted in Hosier Lane, Melbourne’s most famous urban art destination, said street art is “for everybody”.
“Traditionally art has felt inaccessible because it’s confined to stuffy galleries.
“But street art in the public is accessible to everyone from all walks of life.
“You can make a grotty alleyway that no woman would want to walk through completely different by covering it in art.
“It’s becomes a destination rather than a place to avoid.”
Pearce plans to organise a street art festival in Kerikeri. Photo / Jenny Ling
Street art festival
Erika Pearce has worked with councils, schools, businesses and home owners on murals and artworks across New Zealand and around the world.
She has also been involved in numerous street art festivals run by South Sea Spray, Southland’s mural and street art movement.
Now the 39-year-old is planning a street art festival for Kerikeri.
Pearce wants to “carefully curate” world-class and local artists to work on bare walls around town in March 2028 or 2029.
“They’d all create murals at the same time, and there would be walking art tours while they’re working,” she said.
“For small towns the festivals have huge positive impacts.
“We could paint the town red – and white, blue, and purple and everything in between – and tell local stories as well.”
A typical Kiwi holiday scene is plastered on Barbeque BOI’s building.
A cow on a power box.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading and social issues.