Massive mural finished in Wellington

Outside the Massive office by the Wellington Co-Lab, you’ll find a bright yellow wall filled with characters from the magazine – Fergus the Ram, Sexcapades girl, even Pocket the campus cat.  

Other characters were added in, including Massive’s very own editor Sammy Carter, designer Luka Maresca, and Te Ao Māori illustrator Keelin Bell.  

Maresca and Bell worked on the mural design and painting together.  

Maresca’s goal was to “encapsulate what Massive is in one piece, which was really difficult”.  

“We went through every single issue of the magazine so far, and picked characters that we thought were iconic and put them together into a party scene.”  

The design was inspired by the first cover of 2024 for the ‘Fresh’ themed issue. 

“We always hear people walking past and talk about who they are in the mural, which not only makes me feel like we encapsulated Massive but also made all students feel represented.”  

This semester is Bell’s last of his degree, so taking on a big art project felt “crazy”.  

“It was cool just painting in one spot and seeing friends walk past that I hadn't seen in a while, and having little chats and brief catch ups, and also students complimenting or admiring the work as they walked past.”  

The border design of the mural, created by Bell, pays homage to the late John Bevan Ford, a former Massey lecturer who taught Māori Visual Arts. 

Bell had fun working with Maresca, “Over the course of painting, we both were kind of looking over each other's shoulder just to make sure the proportions were right.”  

Previously, this wall had the old student association, MAWSA, logo across it with a bright blue background. But since the amalgamation of student associations to create Te Tira Ahu Pae, the wall needed a new life.