Stan Mans: Award-winning mural brightens up Hastings to Havelock commute

Hastings artist Stan Mans with his children Annebelle, 7, and Blake, 9, next to the new mural between Hastings and Havelock. Photo / Paul Taylor

For years, Hastings artist Stan Mans drove by an unsightly pump shed on his way to work in Havelock North.

He recently completed his latest mural turning the concrete shed into an artwork, titled Breath of Life.

The mural is now catching the eye of thousands of motorists each week along Havelock Rd, and has claimed a top award from Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Mans has half a dozen murals dotted around the Hastings region and often includes kids in his work, sometimes modelled on his three children.

“If you think about the design, you have two kids and specifically in Hawke’s Bay nature,” he said of his latest work.

“I wanted to portray someone in a field outside of technology, outside of your daily busyness and school routines.

“I want to let them loose in the field and set them free, and enjoy the cool stuff like the Hawke’s Bay plains.”

The mural has been titled Breath of Life. Photo / Paul Taylor

He said it encouraged children and parents to explore the beauty of the region, outside of the urban areas.

The title of the mural is Breath of Life, which represents the great air quality of the region and “also we have the Breath of Life in us which is worth protecting”.

“It is a bit conceptual in a sense but it also has to do with the environment and looking after it.”

His eldest children, Blake, 9, and Annebelle, 7, helped him with the work and said they enjoyed the experience painting with their dad.

The council pump shed before it was given a new lease of life. Photo / Supplied

It was an all-family affair, with Mans’ wife Katherine the “mastermind” behind the design and idea.

Mans also works full-time as a project manager for tech company Fingermark.

Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Resene Nature Mural Competition 2023 saw 10 artists around the country selected to receive a $1000 grant and award, and a $750 Resene paint voucher, to complete their designs.

It is the third time Mans has been included on the list of winners. He also thanked Hastings District Council, who provided the pump shed for the mural.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.