Visual Arts: North Sea Mermaids by Nocciola the Drawer (Nexus 2022)

North Sea Mermaids by Nocciola the Drawer. Hazel Oakes, working as Nocciola the Drawer, has created a digital mural celebrating the communities of women who come together to wild sea swim on the beaches served by Metro at Seaburn, South Shields and Tynemouth. Hazel immersed herself in the research, swimming, chatting and filming with her subjects to create an inspiring, refreshing and empowering celebration. Nocciola The Drawer (Hazel Oakes) is an illustrator and mural artist from County Durham. She has a nomadic spirit and feels her sense of community with women anywhere in the world. She specialises in bright, bold, colourful artwork that combines female characters with lively pattern - all with the aim to uplift, inspire, empower and celebrate women. She is spreading her joy for life one splash of colour at a time! One of four artists each won a unique commission to create major works for the interior of Metro’s new train fleet. Metro will be the first urban transit system in the world to feature permanent art inside trains when the new fleet enters service, thanks to a project led by Nexus and funded by Arts Council England through its National Lottery Project Grants programme. Read more about the project here. Four major new permanent artworks are unveiled for new Metro trains |