Street artists flock to Taupō for Graffiato 2022

The official map for Graffiato shows where people can see the artists while they are creating their street art in Taupō. Graphic / Supplied

Locals and visitors alike will notice some changes under way around Taupō's outdoor spaces this weekend as Graffiato returns to the CBD.

Over three days, 13 sites will be beautified by a gaggle of talented artists.

This year marks the 12th outing for the street art fixture, which is back with a bang after last year's pared back mini-festival, which was downsized due to Covid guidelines.

Previous years have seen artists from all over the world participate in Graffiato. This year's lineup is comprised entirely of homegrown talent within the North Island, including Taupō's own Tāne Lawless and Phil Somerville.

Transformations in this year's event will include new walls, fresh looks for some existing mural sites, and even a yacht hull in Taupō Marina.

Graffiato 2022 will also see Tāne Lawless complete the town's first permanent footpath mural.

This is a particularly exciting and meaningful project, says Alice Thompson, project co-ordinator at Towncentre Taupō.

"Tāne is related to some of the most talented weavers in Aotearoa, so this will be a real labour of love for him."

The artists involved are multi-disciplinary, including the Cut Collective, a group of Auckland-based street artists; Chris Amosa, a tattoo artist also based in Tāmaki Makaurau; and Xoë Hall, a Wellington-based painter.

Each creator has been assigned a space, but what they do with it is up to them. This means the public can expect a varied and eclectic mixture of styles and themes for the new works, which will add to the roster of 85 murals from previous years' festivals.

Alice says that, while she couldn't possibly pick a favourite for this year's lineup, she's excited by some of the artists who usually work with bright, eye-catching colour palettes.

While the muralists will be hard at work, Alice encourages locals and visitors to use Graffiato to relax and enjoy watching the works take shape.

Her suggestion? "Grab a map, a coffee, and get amongst it!"

She recommends "at least two tours of the locations, so you can see the progression of the artworks" over the weekend.

Some artists, she explains, get straight down to business on Saturday morning, while others take some time to carefully consider the space that they will work with.

The artists have until Monday to finish their works around the CBD, with sites including the current 'thinker' mural at the i-Site, the side wall of the Merchant of Taupō, and the alley behind Café Baku.

Maps can be collected from the Taupō Visitor Information Centre, the Museum or local cafes, or viewed online at www.taupostreetart.com.