Internationally renowned street artists Nomad Clan prepare for a career-spanning show in Southsea

Hayley Garner, one half of street artist duo Nomad Clan, working on the mural at Play Dead studio in Highland Road, Southsea

The duo, known as Nomad Clan, are opening a show, named III, at the Play Dead studio on Highland Road tonight.

And for the past two days Hayley Garner and Joy Gilleard have been spray painting a giant mural on the wall outside the studio.

Earlier this year they completed the massive Athena Rising, the UK’s tallest mural at 47m, on a building in Leeds.

Hayley Garner, on the ladder, and Joy Gilleard, of Nomad Clan working on the mural outside Play Dead studio in Highland Road, Southsea

Since starting three years ago, this has been their busiest year yet. In 2017 they have already completed projects in Germany, Sweden, Indonesia, and Poland. And before the year is out they will also hit Holland and Miami in the United States.

Joy said: ‘This is a nice manageable size here at Play Dead, which is good because it means we have got the chance to do a nice relaxing paint, and do a bit of noodly detail after the crazy year we’ve had.

‘We have been just nonstop this year!’

The pair were working as solo artists for several years before finding each other.

Nomad Clan working on Athena Rising on the side of the Platform Building near Leeds Station, on June 15, 2017.
Picture by James Hardisty — Nomad Clan working on Athena Rising on the side of the Platform Building near Leeds Station, on June 15, 2017. Picture by James Hardisty

‘Our first big project was a seven-storey property in Liverpool, and once we had that on our CV, it really took off from there,’ Joy added.

And the plaudits have started to pile up. They have been named ‘Street art’s hottest UK talent’ by Global Street Art and pegged as one of the top five female street artists in the world by The Guardian.

After the show’s opening Hayley and Joy will return home to Manchester on Sunday.

Play Dead’s owner Samo White first came across them at last year’s Upfest, Europe’s largest street art festival, held in each summer in Bristol.

Samo said: ‘I just went up there with my dog to scout out some talent. Everyone else was painting on boards and these guys were painting a whole train. That was it, I thought: “These guys are coming to Southsea.”

‘They’ve got that detail and the old-school graffiti-style in there together, which I love. We are so lucky to get them here.’

The exhibition features original work-in-progress sketches from the pair’s other projects as well as prints inspired by their large scale works.

It is due to run through until the end of January.

The show opens tonight at Play Dead at 7pm. The first five people through the door will get a free goodie bag. For more information go to facebook.com.